


The Third Son of the Dragon King

by moonlight_river



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Ancient China, Fantasy, M/M, Sehun is a dragon, Sword-fighting, Use of members' Chinese names, Yixing goes from zero to hero, Yixing is a fisherman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-03 06:43:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 120,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10961844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlight_river/pseuds/moonlight_river
Summary: A fisherman, Yixing catches something unexpected in his net one day.





	1. Chapter 1

The shrill crowing of the rooster pierced the still silence of the morning. Groaning, Yixing rolled over. Consciousness was flooding him as he struggled to awaken. It was time to get up, but he allowed himself the indulgence of burrowing himself in the warmth of his blanket for a while longer.

 

When the crowing of the rooster pierced the air a second time, Yixing knew that he could stall no more. He sat up, rubbing the blurriness out of his eyes. The blanket fell off him, pooling at his waist. The action exposed Yihan to the cool morning air, causing him to stir in his sleep. Yixing picked up the corner of the blanket and covered it back over his younger brother. Yihan sighed in content, and snuggled closer to his twin brother, Yiyun. For a moment, Yixing envied the sleeping twins. They were still young, only eight years of age, and they were allowed to sleep in. But for Yixing, the day’s work awaited him.

Yixing slid out of the bed silently, so as not to disturb his sleeping brothers. Their small wooden hut consisted of just one room. The sun had not risen yet, but familiarity allowed Yixing to make his way out of the doorway in the dark. His mother had left out a bucket of water in the courtyard, which Yixing used to wash up, scooping up water with his cupped hands and splashing it on his face.

 

Warm honey-golden light from the fire greeted Yixing as he stepped into the outdoor kitchen. His mother already had a pot of porridge cooking on the stove. The crackle of burning firewood, the thunking of the lid of the boiling porridge pot, his mother shuffling around the kitchen as she prepared breakfast… … this had been the song of Yixing’s mornings for as long as he could remember. It was the song of a fisherman preparing for sea. It used to be Yixing’s father’s song. But now, it was Yixing’s song.

 

Swallowing the lump in his throat at the memory of his father, Yixing slid into his chair, greeting his mother a good morning. His mother smiled warmly at him as she placed a bowl steaming hot porridge in front of him. Yixing loved the way the hot porridge warmed his insides, helping him ward off the chill of the early morning.

 

After he finished his breakfast, he picked up his packed lunch, freshly steamed buns wrapped in a bundle of cloth, and bid his mother goodbye. Worry etched his mother’s face as she hugged him. Yixing knew that she would rather not let him go. He had just turned sixteen, and no one, least of all Yixing’s mother, thought that it was a good idea to let a sixteen-year-old boy go out to sea alone, but their family was left was no choice. They had lost Yixing’s father to a storm. Yixing had been in the same storm with his father, but by a stroke of luck, the waves had washed him ashore after their boat capsized. His father hadn’t been so lucky.

 

It had now befallen Yixing, the oldest son, to be the breadwinner of the family. Yixing had followed his father out to sea for the past four years, every morning since his twelfth birthday, so he knew all that had to be done on a fishing boat, just that he didn’t seem to have the same knack that his father used to have in knowing where the fish would be. When Yixing returned to shore in the evenings, his catch was significantly less than what his father used to bring back every day, but at least it was something, enough to put rice on the table.

 

Yixing reassured his mother that he would be careful, promising to return in the evening safe and sound. With that, he set off into the dark. He picked his way through the familiar rocky path that led from his house to the beach. The morning air was crisp and cool. The sky was a dewy bluish-grey, the first hints of the darkness lightening creeping up in the edges of the horizon. Yixing reached the little cove where his boat was docked. The boat was newly built, a generosity of the men from the village. They had come together to build a new boat for the fatherless Yixing, so that Yixing would have a means to support his family.

 

Yixing waded in, the cold sea water lapping at his ankles. He went deeper into the water, until the water was touching his knees, making the ends of his rolled-up trousers wet. His feet found the familiar underwater rock that he always used as a stepping stone to climb into his boat. He set about unfurling the sails, arranging the nets, hoisting the anchor, untying the rope that connected the boat to the trunk of a broad tree standing at the water’s edge. All these were the usual routines that he did every morning, but it felt incredibly lonely to be doing it by himself, instead of with his father, and Yixing found himself blinking back tears. Despite his emotions, Yixing proceeded with what he needed to do efficiently, and before long, he was steering the boat out of cove, harnessing the favourable currents and wind.

 

Yixing enjoyed the salty spray of the sea breeze on his face as his boat sailed out into the open sea. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, a warm golden ball rising amongst splashes of pink, yellow and orange. Yixing chased the rising sun, feeling as if he were sailing right into the sunrise.

 

After some time, Yixing lowered the sail. He had stopped at one of his usual fishing grounds, near a small offshore island. There were abundant coral reefs under the water here, and at this time of the year, schools of fish often came to feed. When he was younger, Yixing had once asked his father why the fish came only at this time of the year, and not at others, and Yixing’s father had given him a complicated answer that Yixing could not understand, talking about seasons and migration patterns. Laughing at young Yixing’s perplexed look, his father had patted his head and told him he would explain it to him again when he grew up. With a pang, Yixing realised that he was now old enough to understand, but his father was not around to explain why anymore.

 

Yixing cast his net, watching as the net spread out and sink beneath the waves. The boat drifted leisurely on the surface of the sea, and Yixing knew that there nothing more to do but wait. This was Yixing’s favourite part of his mornings. It was calm and peaceful, to be on a boat alone with the sky and the sea. He stretched out on the bottom of his boat, lying on his back, his arms folded under the back of his head as he watched the clouds drift past in the clear blue sky.

 

Suddenly, the boat rocked with a violent jerk. Alarmed, Yixing scrambled to his feet. Struggling to find his balance in the swaying vessel, Yixing managed to stagger to the right side of the boat, where he had cast his net. The water was a mess of turbulence. Beneath the surface, something was thrashing about in Yixing’s net. Something huge.

 

Yixing pulled in the rope that the net was connected to. His arm muscles strained with the effort, and he had to use his whole body weight as leverage to bring the net to the water surface. Panting, he finally had the net close enough to see what it was that had gotten itself caught in his net.

 

Yixing stopped breathing.

 

Disbelief and shock overwhelmed him. Yixing did not know what he had been expecting when he reeled in the net. A shark perhaps? Or a really big octopus. A giant squid, like in his late grandfather’s stories, maybe. A kracken with tentacles big enough to wrap around even one of the emperor’s warships and break it into half, and drag it beneath the sea. But this… this… was beyond all his expectations and experiences.

 

Yixing stared as he took in the long silvery body, the ridge of fins that stood up and ran the creature’s long spine, the sliver scales that covered every inch of its body. The four legs of the creature, two in front and two near its tail. The three toes at the base of each foot, that ended in sharp claws. The tail that tapered off at the end of its body, becoming slimmer and slimmer until it ended with a tuff of fins, shaped like the tongues of a burning flame. But mostly, Yixing stared at the face of the creature. The long snout of the creature, its mouth full of sharp teeth, snarling as it thrashed to and fro. The horns that sat on top of its head. The mane of silvery-grey hair that covered the back of its head. The long whiskers that ran down from the sides of its face, spreading out and fanning into the water. The eyes, fierce and wide, boring into Yixing’s own.

 

Overcome by shock, Yixing found himself letting go of the rope without meaning to, and the net sank down beneath the waves again. The thrashing continued underwater, and Yixing had to cling onto the side of his swaying boat, to prevent himself from being flung overboard.

 

A dragon.

 

He had caught a dragon in his net.

 

Yixing had seen dragons before, at his village temple. They were carved into the pillars, huge coils spiralling down the cylindrical columns. There were little dragon figurines too, adorning the edges of the roof. He had seen embroidered dragons before as well. When his uncle had just gotten married, Yixing had been allowed into the marital chamber before the start of the ceremony because he was tasked to bring his younger brothers to roll on the marital bed, a custom practiced by his people to bless the marriage with lots of kids, and there had been an embroidered dragon on one of the pillows, with an accompanying embroidered phoenix on the other. In short, Yixing had seen embroidered dragons, carvings of dragons, statues of dragons, but never once in his life, had he ever imagined that he would see a real life one.

 

Yixing reeled in the line again, using all his strength to bring the net to the surface once more.

 

The dragon was still there.

 

Real, and not a figment of Yixing’s imagination.

 

Yixing stared at it. Now that Yixing had gotten over his initial shock, Yixing realised something that he should have noticed earlier. The dragon was injured. Badly so.

 

The dragon was pure silver, from head to toe, from the tip of its snout to its tail fin. But the perfect silvery surface was marred with big blotches of red. The dragon was bleeding from multiple wounds all over its body. The water around the dragon was murky, stained red.

 

The wounds could not have been incurred upon the mighty dragon just by Yixing’s rope net. The dragon must have already been badly injured before it had gotten itself caught it Yixing’s net. The fact that was badly injured must have been reason why it has swum unwittingly into Yixing’s net, a mistake that surely it would not have made if it had been in its normal state. And the fact that it was so badly injured meant that it had not the strength to rid itself from the confines of the rope net. If it had been at its full strength, surely the net would have been ripped to pieces by now.

 

“Shhhh…” said Yixing, trying to soothe the panicking and struggling creature. “It’s alright. It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”

 

The thrashing lessened somewhat, as the dragon looked up at Yixing.

 

Yixing’s heart skipped a beat. Had the dragon understood him?

 

Yixing reached out, his hand narrowly missing the dragon’s snapping jaws as he put a placating hand upon the creature’s snout.

 

“Please. It’s alright. I mean you no harm,” said Yixing sincerely.

 

The thrashing stopped altogether. The dragon’s body was still tense though, and the look in his eyes was distrustful as it silently contemplated Yixing.

 

“I’m a fisherman,” Yixing explained. “I only meant to catch fish with my net. I had not meant to trap you in it. I’m sorry.”

 

Yixing’s apology seemed to calm the dragon down somewhat. It looked up Yixing, and Yixing could tell it was scared and tired, and Yixing’s heart was suddenly filled with sympathy for it.

 

“I want to help you. I want to release you from the net,” said Yixing, cupping the side of the dragon’s face gently. “But to do that, I would need to pull you to shore. Can I do that?”

 

The dragon made no reaction. It merely lay still in the net, looking up at Yixing, fear and fatigue in its eyes. Yixing took the dragon’s silence as consent. Yixing looked into the horizon, where the little island was. It was not far away.  He steered the rudder, changing the direction of the boat to head towards the island. With the extra drag of the dragon in the net, even turning the boat was cumbersome, but to Yixing’s surprise, the dragon helped, swimming in the direction the boat was turning to. In this fashion, they moved slowly towards the island, partly dependent on the wind and on the sea current, and partly dependent on the movement of the dragon that buoyed the entire fishing boat along with it.

 

As they approached the island, the water became shallower and shallower. Yixing could see the seabed now, the sandy expanse beneath the clear water. He guided the boat so that it sailed steadily into the sandy bank, his boat cruising upon the momentum of the waves and of the dragon swimming behind it, until its hull hit the sand with a gentle thud and slid steadily onto the shore. The boat was half on the sandy beach, and half in the water, with the dragon curled behind it in the shallow water.

 

Yixing jumped out of the boat, his feet landing in the soft sand. Cautiously, he approached the dragon. Now that they were at the shoreline, Yixing could really see the dragon in its entirety. The dragon was even longer than he had expected. The dragon was breathing heavily. The tangled net stretched taut around it, the rope chafing against raw open flesh in many places, the hair of its mane sticking out in knotted tuffs in between the rope. Blood oozed out of its wounds, making the water around it murky.

 

“I’m going to take the net off you now. Is that alright?”

 

The dragon made no movement or sound, but merely looked at Yixing. Yixing took its direct gaze as consent. Slowly and carefully, so as not to aggravate the dragon’s injuries, Yixing found the mouth of the net and pulled it open. He slipped the opening through the head of the dragon, over its snout and jaws, where its teeth jutted out from despite its jaw being closed, underneath its beard and over its horns, behind its mane, and down its neck. When Yixing reached its two front legs, the dragon helped by lifting its legs, one at a time, to step out of the net, so that Yixing could continue moving the mouth of the net down the rest of the dragon’s body, over the ridge of fins standing up on its spine and under its white underbelly, the only part of it not covered in silvery grey scales, until he reached the back legs, which the dragon also obliging lifted up, so that Yixing reached its tail. Yixing slipped the net over the dragon’s tail fins, and then, the dragon was free.

 

It seemed to Yixing that the dragon heaved a sigh of relief. Its body seemed to relax, like how a string that had been pulled taut is loosened. Yixing had been expecting it to take to the sea immediately, but it lay its head back down on the sand, seemingly too tired to move, resting itself as the waves lapped around him.

 

“You’re injured,” said Yixing, gently stroking the dragon’s mane as he spoke. “Allow me to bandage your wounds first, before you return to the sea, please?”

 

The dragon looked at Yixing, contemplating Yixing silently. Once again, Yixing took its silence as consent.

 

“Could you perhaps move onto shore?”

 

Slowly and tiredly, every movement evidently difficult and painful from its many wounds, the dragon laboriously lumbered onto the shore, dragging itself on its belly. Yixing’s heart swelled at the stark proof that the dragon was able to understand him. Yixing helped wherever he could, trying his best though the dragon was staggeringly heavy to lift, until the dragon was lying with its body stretched out on the beach.

 

Yixing made his way to the back of the boat, and opened a small trapdoor, where there was a small compartment to keep supplies. In it, there lay Yixing’s extra sail. It had cost a lot of their savings to make one, but Yixing’s mother had been insistent upon it. She did not want to lose Yixing to a sea storm, like she had lost her husband, and an extra sail made the chances of that happening lower.

 

Yixing tore out a portion of cloth from the sail, and wet it using the some of the clean drinking water he had brought out with him in a bamboo container. Using the wet cloth, he cleaned the dragon’s wounds the best he could. Before long, the entire cloth stained red, and Yixing had to tear out another portion of cloth from the sail, then another, and another, before he had washed all of the dragon’s wounds, removing bits of debris and seaweed from some of the open wounds. By this time, Yixing had used up all of his drinking water from his bamboo container. He would have to go thirsty today, but it was worth it to see that the dragon’s wounds were more or less clean. Yixing then went about tearing the remaining sail into long strips. He wrapped these long strips over the dragon’s wounds, tying up the ends in secure knots.

 

It took a long time, but eventually, Yixing managed to finish bandaging all of the dragon’s wounds. When he finished, he knelt down next to the dragon’s head. The dragon looked up at Yixing, and while its gaze was still filled up tiredness and fatigue, it no longer looked frightened. It was looking up at Yixing with gratefulness and warmth.

 

“You’re going to be alright,” said Yixing to the dragon, stroking his mane comfortingly. “Do you want to go back to the sea now? Or if you want to, you can rest on this island for a while?”

 

The dragon’s eyes were already drooping. Yixing couldn’t help smiling as the dragon peered up at him through half-lidded eyes.

 

“You can rest here for a while,” said Yixing. “I need to go back out to sea to continue fishing now. I would love to stay and take care you, but I really need to go and fish, if I am going to have anything to sell at all at the evening market today. I need the money, to buy rice and vegetables for dinner tonight, for my mother and my brothers. I’ll come back to find you later, before I go back to shore in the evening. I’ll bring you some fish too. You eat fish, right?”

 

Yixing smiled when the dragon nodded. He gave the dragon one last pet on the snout, before he turned to leave. After he had climbed into his boat and had cast off, he turned back. The dragon's eyes were closed, and its breathing was heavy and even. Happy that the dragon seemed to be relaxed and comfortable, Yixing went back out to sea.

 

Judging from the position of the sun in the sky, it was well past noon. That was too bad. Mornings were the best time to fish. But it couldn’t be helped. Yixing cast his net, and waited. He waited a long time, but when he reeled his net in, it was barely one quarter full. Resigned, Yixing collected the meagre catch, emptied the fish into a barrel, and filled with sea water to keep the fish alive and fresh. He steered the boat to another part of the sea, and cast his net again. When he reeled it, the catch was even worse. The net was only a fifth full this time.

 

After multiple such attempts, Yixing’s catch of fish did not increase significantly. It was his worst catch ever. By this time, the sun was already low in the sky, and Yixing knew it was time to head back to shore. He steered the boat back to the island. Yixing smiled to see that the dragon was still sleeping peacefully on the beach. Despite his poor catch for the day, Yixing set aside an entire bucketful of fish for the dragon, selecting the biggest fish he had for it. He put the bucket of fish on the beach, next to the snoozing dragon, trusting that it will help itself once it woke up.

 

Yixing chased the setting sun, until he caught sight of land. The sky was cast in hues of yellow and orange, and curls of clouds seemed to trace pathways in the sky leading towards the golden setting sun. The sun was already sinking halfway behind the mountains, a golden semi-circle shining out from behind the peaks, when Yixing steered his boat into his familiar cove. The cove was further away from the main beach, where the other fishing boats were docked, but Yixing’s father had always used it because it was nearer to their home, which was located on the outskirts of the village, and out of habit, Yixing had always used it too. Though it meant a closer walk to the boat when he set out in the mornings, it also meant it was a further walk to the evening market. The sun was setting rapidly, and Yixing knew that he had to hurry.

 

Yixing quickly docked his boat, and unloaded his meagre catch of the day into his cart. As fast as he could manage, he pushed his cart up the winding rocky path, up the mountain slope and then, down again, towards the village at the base of the mountain. He pushed his cart into the entrance of the fenced village, past the fish-shaped lanterns hanging from tall wooden poles, swaying in the evening breeze. Yixing could see that the evening market was already winding down for the day, with fewer people milling around. Yixing quickly pushed his cart to his usual spot in the market.

 

“You’re late today, Little Yixing,” said Uncle Po. Uncle Po always had his stall next to Yixing’s. He was a fisherman too. Yixing could see he had already sold most of his catch, and was in the midst of packing up for the day. “Most of the buyers have already left.”

 

“Steward Huang is still around though,” said Auntie Ling. Her stall was opposite Yixing’s. She sold handwoven reed baskets. “See? Over there.”

 

Yixing looked in the direction that Auntie Ling was pointing at. A person of tall stature, Steward Huang’s distinctive back towered above the other people. He was already heading out to the entrance of the village.

 

“Go chase after him, Little Yixing,” said Uncle Po. “I’ll watch your cart for you.”

 

Yixing ran after Steward Huang, calling out to him. Steward Huang was the manager of Drunken Immortal Restaurant, from the big town across the hill. The Drunken Immortal Restaurant was the biggest restaurant in the town, and they bought fresh fish every evening for their dinner service. To Yixing’s relief, Steward Huang stopped and turned around when he heard Yixing calling out his name.

 

“Oh it’s you, Little Yixing. Didn’t see you around just now.”

 

“I just came in,” explained Yixing. “Would you like to take a look at my catch?”

 

“Hmmm… perhaps not today. I have already bought enough fish.” He indicated his servants, who were already carrying several baskets of fish.

 

“Please. I will sell them to you cheap.”

 

“Oh, alright then. Let’s have a look.”

 

Yixing led Steward Huang to his cart. Steward Huang contemplated the small pile of fish, and named a price. It was less than what Yixing could have usually sold it for, but Yixing knew that he did not have a choice. Steward Huang was the only customer around. It was either selling his fish at the reduced price, or not get to sell it at all. Yixing readily agreed to the price, watching carefully as Steward Huang counted out the copper coins. Yixing gratefully bowed to Steward Huang when pressed the coins into the palm of his hands, and he helped the servants packed up the pile of fish into their baskets.

 

Auntie Ling ruffled Yixing’s hair fondly after Steward Huang left. Auntie Ling had been doing that since Yixing was a young boy, but now at sixteen years old, Yixing inwardly thought he was too old to get his hair ruffled anymore. Nevertheless, he stood still and politely accepted the ruffling.

 

Uncle Po beamed at Yixing, happy on Yixing’s behalf that he had managed to sell his catch. “Come here earlier tomorrow, eh?”

 

“Yes, I will,” said Yixing, helping Uncle Po stack his empty barrels back on his cart. Uncle Po was old, and his back hurt him, so Yixing helped him to push his cart back to his house, which wasn’t too far away, since Uncle Po stayed in the village. After that, Yixing took his coins and visited first the rice shop, then the vegetable stall, just in time before they closed for the day. He had enough to buy a sack of rice and some vegetables, with a little left over. Yixing jiggled the few remaining coppers in his hand, wondering what he should buy with them. His mother had mentioned needing some more new candles, and cooking oil. She had also talked about wanting some cloth, so that she could sew Yixing some new clothes. Yixing was shooting up fast, and he was constantly outgrowing his clothes. But today’s earnings were too little. Cooking oil and a whole bolt of cloth cost too much, so they were out of the question, for today at least, but perhaps he could afford a candle…

 

As he walked towards the candle shop, Yixing suddenly thought about the dragon, and its multiple wounds. He had used up the entire sail, but even as he bandaged the dragon’s wounds, blood was seeping through the cloth. Yixing should probably replace the bandages tomorrow. His mind made up, Yixing changed course, heading for the tailor shop instead. The shopkeeper was already closing up for the day, putting vertical wooden planks one by one in the grooves that lined the floor and the ceiling at the entrance of the shop.

 

“Good evening, sir,” said Yixing. “Do you have some scrap pieces of cloth that I could buy, please?”

 

“We’re closed for the day. Come back tomorrow.”

 

“Please, sir. I really need the cloth today.”

 

The shopkeeper gave a long suffering sigh, but gruffly waved Yixing inside the shop anyway. Yixing gratefully slipped in, and the shopkeeper showed him to a basket which was piled to the brim with pieces of scrap cloth. Yixing squatted next to the basket, rummaging through its contents. Most of it were small squares of cloth, but after poking around for a bit, Yixing managed to draw out a long strip of cloth which looked to be the right size, long enough to wrap around the dragon’s body. Heartened with his find, Yixing began to search more thoroughly now, sorting through the cloth piece by piece. Yixing gathered up the strips of cloth in his arms, hoping that they would be enough.

 

“How much for these, sir?” asked Yixing.

 

The shop keeper threw a nonchalant glance at the bundle in Yixing’s arms. “Five coppers.”

 

“Oh.” Yixing took out all his coins from his pocket. “I only have two coppers. How much can I buy with two coppers?”

 

The shopkeeper started to remove some of the cloth from Yixing’s hands, but his wife intercepted him.

 

“Nonsense!” she said, replacing all the cloth back into Yixing’s arms. “You can have them all for two coppers.”

 

“Little Yixing’s father was always good to us,” she said sternly to her husband, when her husband looked like he was about to protest. “Remember how your late mother used to love eating fish porridge so much, she had to have it for breakfast every day? And she was always so particular. It had to be snakehead, nothing else would do. Snakehead’s hard to catch, and it was so hard to find a fisherman who was capable of supplying it for us daily, but Little Yixing’s father used to go out of his way to catch it for us. He went through the trouble for the old lady’s sake, so that she could enjoy her favourite fish porridge every morning. If he could have done that for your mother, how can we deny his son a few pieces of scrap cloth now?”

 

“Oh, alright then,” said the shopkeeper, looking abashed.

 

Yixing gratefully left the shop with this bundle of cloth strips, thanking both shopkeeper and his wife profusely. He found his cart where he had left it, and loaded the rice, vegetables and cloth strips into it. The sun had already set, but the lack of light was no issue to Yixing, and he tread the familiar path out of the village, and into the woods. He went back to his boat first. He put the pieces of cloth he just bought onto it, then took the single fish that he had saved for his family’s own dinner, a Song fish that would not have fetched much in the market place, kept alive and fresh in a bucket of seawater. Carrying the bucket, rice and vegetables, he made his way up the rocky shrub-lined path.

 

“Ge-ge! Ge-ge!”

 

Yixing smiled at his younger brothers, who were running down the path to meet him. He set his bucket and basketful of rice and vegetables on the ground, and knelt down with his arms outstretched, just in time as Yihan and Yiyun barrelled into him. Smiling, he hugged his two little brothers to him, even if the impact threatened to bowl him over. Yihan and Yiyun carried the basket of rice and vegetables between them while Yixing picked up the bucket with the fish, and together they walked back to their hut.

 

The next day, before the crack of dawn, Yixing was already sailing out to sea. He had set off earlier than usual as he was anxious to check on the dragon. The lack of light made it hard to navigate, but Yixing was familiar with the waters, and he followed the position of the stars and his instincts, until he spotted the island in the horizon. As Yixing steered his boat towards the island, the sun was gradually rising, a golden eye yolk in the sky, that shone rays of light on the moving blue waves. After Yixing had securely anchored his boat on shore, he jumped out of his boat. He felt the wet sand squish beneath his feet and in between his toes.

 

The dragon was nowhere to be seen. Yixing heart beat a little faster as he looked around, not really knowing what to expect. Then suddenly, Yixing spotted a dark shape cutting through the water. As it approached, Yixing could clearly see the dragon in the crystal-clear waters, its streamlined body swaying from side into side in smooth undulating waves. Yixing stood perfectly still as he beheld the creature.

 

The dragon stopped before Yixing. It stood on its two front legs, its long neck and head looming over Yixing, its long body stretched out behind it. It bent its long neck, lowering its head until it was eye level with Yixing. It was beautiful. Yixing could not believe how lucky he was. Yixing held his hand tentatively, and the dragon held still, allowing Yixing to lay a hand on its snout. Time seemed to stop when his palm came into contact with the smooth grey scales.

 

“Are you feeling better?” Yixing asked. “You look better.”

 

Indeed, the dragon looked more spirited and energetic. The dragon nuzzled Yixing, its huge head almost knocking Yixing over, and Yixing laughed.

 

“Look,” said Yixing, holding up his bundle of cloth strips. “I brought more cloth along today. I can change your dressings, if you want.”

 

The dragon obliging stretched out on the sandy beach, laying its long body flat on the ground, its movements quick and elegant despite its large bulk. Yixing took that as a yes. Yixing quickly got to work, untying the knots of the blood-stained bandages, and carefully unwrapping them from the dragon’s body, afraid to aggravate the dragon’s wounds. The dragon’s looked much better than they had yesterday. It healed quickly, Yixing realised. He wrapped the wounds in the fresh pieces of cloth, grateful when he found that he had enough after all. The dragon’s wounds were smaller than they were yesterday, and he did not need as much cloth as he did to wrap all the wounds securely.

 

“There, all done,” said Yixing, after he had finished. The dragon nuzzled Yixing again, and this time, Yixing was more ready for it. He exerted some force in his legs, to hold himself steady as the dragon’s huge head rubbed against him.

 

“I caught some fish for you yesterday. Did you eat them?”

 

The dragon pointed his head to the bucket. Yixing looked in. No fish in sight.

 

“Oh. You’ve ate them all!”

 

The dragon nudged Yixing, and pointedly looked around Yixing. There was nothing around Yixing, except the blood-stained pieces of cloth lying on the ground next to his feet. It dawned upon Yixing that the dragon was questioning him, asking why Yixing had come empty-handed.

 

 _Where’s the fish?_ The dragon seemed to ask, as it peered around Yixing. _You’ve brought me more fish, right? Right? Where are they?_

“I’m don’t have any fish,” said Yixing, wishing that he had thought of fishing first before coming to the island. “I haven’t gone fishing yet. I was too anxious to come and check on you first.”

 

The dragon lowered its head, letting it settle on top of its two front legs, its long neck curling behind his head. It looked to Yixing like it was sulking. Yixing laughed, and wrapped his arms around the dragon’s neck.

 

“I’m sorry. I’ll go fishing now. I’ll bring you fish soon.”

 

The dragon turned its head back, and nuzzled Yixing, who was still hugging his neck. After Yixing let go of it, the dragon slid back into the water gracefully. Already, its movements were more relaxed and fluid as compared to the day before, and Yixing was glad the dragon seemed to be recovering so well.  

 

Yixing took his little boat out to sea, returning to the same fishing ground that he had been the day before. He cast his net, hoping that he was accurate in guessing where the fish would be. As he waited, he wondered how the dragon got injured. What could possibly be able to hurt so mighty a creature? Surely it was the strongest creature to rule the depths of the ocean. Perhaps it was another dragon? Yixing thought about the temple in his village. It was dedicated to Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. Unlike his parents, Yixing had never been particularly pious. He had thought how big one’s catch of fish was, and whether one survived at sea, depended on one’s skill, and not how many joss sticks one burned at a temple. He only went to the temple when his parents asked him to accompany them, and never on his own accord. Yixing had never thought that deities were real, always brushed them off as superstition, but now that he had seen a real life dragon for himself, he was not so sure.

 

Yixing reeled in his net, and the catch was not too bad, about half full. He emptied the contents of the net on the bottom of the boat. The fish jumped and wriggled on the bottom of the boat. Scooping up the slippery fish with his bare hands, Yixing quickly sorted them out, selecting the bigger ones for the dragon, filling up two buckets for it this time, since one bucket had seemed to be too little.

 

Usually, Yixing would cast his net again straight away, but Yixing was mindful of the hungry dragon. Unwillingly to keep the dragon waiting, Yixing headed back to the island. The dragon was snoozing in the shallow waters near the beach, but it stirred when Yixing emptied the two buckets of fish into the water near him. It lifted its head, eyeing the fish that darted past him with interest, before it shot off in pursuit of them. It moved with speed and agility, and the fish did not stand a chance. The dragon enclosed them one by one in its powerful jaws. As the dragon ate, Yixing knelt at the water’s edge and washed the bloody bandages in the sea water. He laid them out on the sand to dry under the sun. When the dragon was done eating, it swam to the edge of the water where Yixing was standing. When it lifted its head out of the water, water splashed everywhere, drenching Yixing in the process, but Yixing didn’t mind. He laughed and petted the dragon on the cheek.

 

“I need to go back out to sea to fish now,” he told dragon. Yixing smiled again when the dragon looked like it was pouting. “I need to go fish, if not I won’t be able to support my family. I’ll come back later in the day. I’ll bring you more fish, and change your bandages again.”

 

The dragon looked dolefully at Yixing, but it nodded anyway. Yixing gave it one last pet on the snout, before he turned to go. After that, he went back out to sea. He cast his net many more times, catching only a few fish at a time. But he persevered, changing locations frequently and casting his net repeatedly, grateful for each small catch.

 

It was late afternoon when Yixing returned to the dragon. The dragon seemed happy to see Yixing. Yixing emptied the fish into the waters near it, but this time the dragon ignored the fish, and focused solely on Yixing, nuzzling him, tickling Yixing with its beard and whiskers. Yixing laughed, and offered to change the dragon’s dressings again. The cloths he had laid out on the sand had dried, and were ready for use again. The dragon obligingly got of the water, and lay still as Yixing worked. Yixing was happy to see that there were fewer blood stains as compared to before. The dragon was healing quickly.

 

Yixing sat on the sandy beach next to the dragon’s head, tired out after his exertions. Changing bandages for a dragon was hard work.

 

“There. All done,” he said. “I have to head back to shore now. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

 

The dragon pouted. There was no other description for it. It was, unmistakably, pouting. Yixing smiled as the dragon laid his head on Yixing’s lap. Belatedly, Yixing realised that the dragon had effectively trapped him in. With what felt like a one-ton weight on top of his legs, Yixing was not going to be able to go anywhere.

 

“I don’t want to leave you by yourself here,” said Yixing, stroking the dragon’s mane. “But I really need to go. I have to go back in time for the evening market, to sell my fish. I’ve bought enough rice yesterday to last us for the next few days, but I still need to buy some vegetables for tonight’s dinner, and my mother said last night that we’re running low on flour. She needs flour to make steamed buns for my lunch every day. And she already said a few days ago that we need more cooking oil, candles and cloth, but I haven’t earned enough money to buy those for her yet…”

 

The dragon lifted its head off Yixing’s lap. It still looked sad that Yixing was leaving for the night, but at least now it was willing to let Yixing leave. Yixing got to his feet, and petted the dragon on the neck.

 

“That’s a good boy,” said Yixing. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

 

His fishing boat was some distance away from the island when he turned back. The dragon had slid back into the water, and had even swam a little way off the island, after Yixing’s boat. Yixing waved at the dragon, signalling to it that it should go back to the island. The dragon stopped, but lifted its head out of the water, watching Yixing as the wind brought his brought his boat further and further away from the dragon. Yixing waved at it, promising he would return tomorrow, watching until the dragon disappeared into the horizon where the edge of the sky met the sea.

 

The next day, Yixing returned to the island, with two buckets of freshly-caught fish. He had barely set the buckets down on the beach when a huge weight barrelled into him, knocking him down. Yixing lay on the sandy beach, winded, but still laughing, his body crushed underneath the head of a dragon, its snout nuzzling into Yixing’s stomach, tickling Yixing, causing Yixing to burst into a fit of giggles. But his laughter died in his throat, when he realised that the dragon was shimmering, becoming immaterial, shrinking…

 

“Wha-“ Yixing exclaimed, trying to hold on to the dragon, as if holding on the dragon could prevent it from disappearing.

 

Belatedly, Yixing realised that the dragon wasn’t disappearing after all. It was transforming. Yixing stared in open-mouthed shock as a pair of arms held onto him and a face loomed over his own.

 

His dragon had turned into a boy.

 

An exceedingly pretty boy.

 

Yixing stared up at the face above him. Perfectly symmetrical, with porcelain skin, eyes clear and bright, sparkling, eyebrows perfectly shaped, his nose, high and perfectly ridged, his small mouth and sculptured jawline.

 

The boy stared down at Yixing too. The boy closed the distance between them. Then, because Yixing’s brain was still reeling from the shock of it all, Yixing did not register what was going on until it happened. The boy pressed his lips upon Yixing’s, kissing Yixing full on the lips.

 

Shocked overwhelmed Yixing, and he lay stock-still even as the boy pulled away from him, smiling as he sat up. After a while, Yixing regained some control over his limbs and sat up too. The boy was still awfully close, practically sitting in Yixing’s lap. He was smiling at Yixing, and he was just so… so… so beautiful, the sight of it took Yixing’s breath away.

 

“What’s your name?” the boy asked.

 

“Zhang Yixing.” Yixing’s brain wasn’t working, but somehow, he managed to answer anyway.

 

“Yixing ge-ge!” the boy said brightly. “I’ll call you Yixing ge-ge from now onwards. Is that alright, Yixing ge-ge?”

 

“Uh…”

 

“I’m Shixun.”

 

“You’re… you’re… you’re a dragon.”

 

“Yes. And you’re a human,” answered Shixun cheekily.

 

“What… How…. I don’t…” Yixing knew he was stuttering, but had no way to stop himself from talking like a village idiot.

 

Shixun giggled. “You’re so cute, Yixing ge-ge.”

 

Yixing just gaped at him, floundering, until Sehun eventually took pity on him. “I’m the third son of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea.” Shixun explained.

 

Many questions were running through Yixing’s mind, but then Yixing’s brain finally supplied Yixing with something that he had momentarily forgotten in the aftermath of the shock of the transformation.

 

“Your injuries!” He grabbed Shixun’s shoulders, his eyes sweeping up and down Shixun’s body. Shixun was wearing a robe of grey silk, embroidered with silver thread. The robe covered much of Shixun’s body, and Yixing could see no bare skin, had no way of seeing how well Shixun’s injuries had healed, but there were no blood stains on the grey silk, which Yixing took as a good sign…

 

“I’m fine,” Shixun reassured Yixing. “I’ve healed completely. I wouldn’t have been able to transform to my human form otherwise.”

 

Yixing relaxed. He continued to look Shixun up and down anyway, visually checking for any injuries just to be sure, and thankfully, he found none. Not even a single scratch. Shixun smiled at Yixing’s concern for him.

 

“Thank you for helping me when I was injured.”

 

“You… heal very fast,” commented Yixing. He was so lost, so confused, he had no means to put his thoughts into words, but his brain apparently decided on its own to make comments on the most inane of things.

 

Shixun cocked his head to the side. “You think so? I think my healing speed is normal. Normal for a dragon at least. Do you humans take a long time to heal?”

 

“How did you get injured?”

 

“Sun Wukong,” said Shixun, pouting. “I was duelling with this wretched monkey, who calls himself ‘The Monkey King’. He got the better of me this time, but I’ll get him next time.”

 

“You were injured… by a monkey?” Yixing could not imagine a monkey defeating a creature as mighty as a dragon.

 

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say. It evidently hit a nerve with Shixun. Shixun’s face darkened and his pout became more pronounced.

 

“It’s only because he’s got himself a good weapon, the ruyi jinggu bang! It’s totally unfair. The ruyi jinggu bang belonged to my family in the first place. Who is he to use my family’s weapon to defeat me? Wait till I find a good weapon too, and then he’ll see!”

 

“No! Don’t! Please.”

 

Yixing was horrified at the prospect of Shixun getting into another fight with the opponent who had hurt him so badly. Whoever Sun Wukong was, he must be a formidable opponent, and Yixing could not bear the thought of Shixun getting injured again.

 

“No?” Shixun cocked his head to the side.  “Why not?”

 

How does one tell a dragon that he shouldn’t be fighting? Yixing was in no position to tell a dragon want to do. Yet, Yixing could not help but feel protective over the dragon. The thought of Shixun in danger instantly filled him with dread. Yixing did not know what to say, but Shixun seemed to understand his unspoken words anyway.

 

“Are you concerned for me?” asked Shixun brightly. “You’re worried that I might get injured again, aren’t you?”

 

Yixing nodded and Shixun beamed at him.

 

“You’re so sweet, Yixing ge-ge!”

 

And Shixun kissed him again.

 

Yixing was painfully aware of his heart thudding in his ribcage, his heartbeat drumming in his ears, as Shixun’s lips pressed against his, a warm and soft pressure on his lips. It was over in a heartbeat, but Yixing’s heartrate continued beating furiously even as Shixun pulled back.

 

Shixun sat facing Yixing, smiling serenely, as if him kissing Yixing was the most normal thing in the world, oblivious to the fact that Yixing’s heart was probably on the brink of stopping altogether. Shixun settled down comfortably next to Yixing, putting his head on Yixing’s shoulder. Yixing stiffened, not knowing how to react. He had never been so close in proximity to another person before, outside of his immediate family members, and definitely not with someone as attractive as Shixun. Shixun seemed completely oblivious to Yixing’s awkwardness and shyness as he leaned comfortably against Yixing, burrowing his head into the crook of Yixing’s neck.

 

“You are so nice to me, Yixing ge-ge. You took care of me when I was injured. You brought me here, dressed my wounds, and you brought fish for me to eat.”

 

Shixun had been saying all these brightly, but suddenly, his face fell.

 

“No one else is as nice to Shixun. Shixun’s mother died when Shixun was young. Shixun’s father is always so strict with Shixun. Shixun’s older brothers bully Shixun all the time.”

 

Shixun’s lower lip was trembling. He seemed to be on the verge of tears. Yixing couldn’t stand the sight of it.

 

“I’ll always be nice to Shixun.”

 

“Really?” Shixun perked up immediately. A smile brightened his face, and the sight of it warmed Yixing’s heart.

 

“Yes,” Yixing promised. “Always.”

 

“Swear it.”

 

Yixing blinked at the dragon. Surely he couldn’t be serious? But Shixun was staring expectantly at him. The earnest look on Shixun’s face melted something deep in Yixing’s heart, and Yixing found himself lifting his left hand, raising his index and third finger towards the sky while folding the rest down.

 

“Heavens above, be my witness. I, Zhang Yixing, swear to always treat Shixun well. I will always treat Shixun with love and kindness, like how I would want to be treated by others. Wait, no, I will always treat Shixun better than I treat myself. If I don’t keep my word, may I be struck by…”

 

Yixing found himself abruptly cut off as Shixun’s lips descended on his own, his kiss preventing him from finishing his sentence. His lips were warm and moist on Yixing’s, and Yixing could only stare lovestruck at Shixun when Shixun pulled back.

 

“The first part of your oath is enough, Yixing ge-ge. There’s no need to follow through with the second part.”

 

The look in Shixun’s eyes were tender as he peered up at Yixing from beneath his lashes. He was beautiful. Unable to resist, Yixing leaned forward, an unspoken request. Smiling, Shixun complied, easily closing the gap so that his lips met with Yixing’s again.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shixun is Sehun's name in Chinese.


	2. Chapter 2

“Will they be alright?” Yixing’s mother asked anxiously.

 

The healer had already taken Yiyun’s pulse, and now had two fingers pressed on Yihan’s wrist.  

 

“Don’t worry, Madam. It’s not serious. They have merely caught a cold.”

 

“It’s not serious? But they’ve been bedridden, running a fever for days. When Yixing gets a cold, he still moves around well…”

 

“Compared your oldest son, these two boys have a weaker constitution. That’s why they suffer more when they get a cold.”

 

The healer opened his wooden medical box, and removed a sheet of paper from it. He took out an ink slab and a brush too. Yixing quickly stepped up, respectfully helping the healer to grind the ink slab, to make the ink ooze out. The healer raised an eyebrow. It was unusual for a fisherman to know how an ink slab worked. Yixing flushed, and stepped back. Yixing was slightly worried that he had shown the healer disrespect, but the healer only smiled kindly at Yixing as he dipped his brush into the ink. Yixing stood at the side, watching as the healer wrote out words on the paper. Yixing was pleased to realise that he could read at least half of the words on the page.

 

“Take this prescription,” the healer said, holding out the paper to Yixing. “Boil the herbs accordingly to brew the medicine for them, and they will get well soon.”

 

Yixing respectfully accepted the paper, folding it carefully and stowing it in his robes. His mother paid the healer. Though a healer’s services didn’t come cheap, the healer only charged them a few copper coins, an act of kindness to a poor fisherman family. This healer was the only one to be found for leagues. Mostly, he spent his time in the big inland towns, serving the wealthy, but once in a while, he travelled down the coast, offering his services to the poor coastal villages. It was a stroke of luck that he had come to the village at this time, when Yixing’s family needed him. In gratitude for the low fees he charged, Yixing’s mother packed some dried fish for the healer. She wanted to give the healer a chicken too, one of the most valuable things that their family owned, but the healer politely declined, saying it was difficult for him to carry a chicken with him while on the road.

 

Helping the healer to carry his bag, Yixing walked the healer through the woods and back to the village, escorting him to the village entrance. He bowed to the healer, helped the elderly man sling the bag on his shoulders, and watched as the healer went on his way down the dirt road, towards the next village further up the coast.

 

Yixing went back to the village centre. He brought the prescription to the local herb shop. Thankfully, all the herbs in the prescription were commonplace enough to be readily available. Yixing watched the shop keeper measured out the portions. Now that he was able to read, Yixing discreetly doubled checked that the measured-out portions were correct. It felt good, being able to read, to not be at the mercy of others. He paid for the medicine. It cost one entire silver tael. If this had happened a year ago, Yixing definitely would not have been able to afford it, but now, Yixing was able to produce the precious silver tael from his money pouch, placing it carefully in the palm of the shopkeeper’s hand.

 

Yixing walked back to his hut, holding the packages carefully, taking care not to drop them. When he reached home, he explained to his mother how to brew the medicine. The brew required the herbs to be decocted twice. She had to bring the water to a rolling boil, then bring down the heat to a simmer, before straining the fluid and keeping herbs in the pot for second decoction. After that, she had to add a second round water, and bring it to boil again. Yixing’s mother listened to the instructions attentively, assuming that he had gotten them from the shop keeper. Yixing allowed her to make the assumption. Yixing felt sad that he had to keep the fact that he could read from his mother. She would have been overcome with joy if she knew that Yixing was becoming literate, but if he told her, he would have to explain who was the one teaching him to read, and that would be too difficult to explain.

 

Yixing kissed his two sleeping brothers on the forehead, before bidding his mother goodbye. Taking his steamed buns, he went down the familiar path to where his boat was docked. It was already late in the day. The noon day sun shone high the sky. Previously, Yixing would have fretted about this, that he had lost half a day of fishing time. But now, Yixing knew this was of no consequence. He would be coming home later with a full catch, no matter what.

 

Yixing steered his small fishing boat out of the cove. The wind was blowing in the wrong direction, towards the shore, so he didn’t unfurl his sail. Despite this, Yixing found that he didn’t have to row. A favourable sea current suddenly moved under Yixing’s boat, guiding Yixing’s boat steadily out to sea without much effort on Yixing’s part. Yixing smiled, knowing who was responsible for this.

 

Once Yixing’s boat reached open sea, when the shore had disappeared into the horizon, the sea current that had been guiding Yixing’s boat suddenly disappeared, and Yixing’s boat drifted to a stop. Yixing scanned the sea around him, looking for any movement of water.

 

It happened in a sudden great burst. A towering column of water that erupted out from under the sea, exploding upwards and outwards, making Yixing’s small fishing boat rock violently. The water fell downwards in great sheets, thundering back down into the sea in rocky waves, revealing the towering form of the great sea dragon beneath, the glaring noon day sun radiating off shimmering silver scales and cascading water.

 

Yixing stood at the side of his fishing boat, both hands grabbing onto the wooden sides for support in the turbulence. He stood face to face with the dragon as it towered over Yixing and his fishing boat. Their eyes met for an instant, before the dragon reared its neck and lunged towards Yixing. Just when it seemed that the small boat would be crushed under the dragon’s massive body, the huge form of the dragon’s body disappeared. Instead, Yixing was bowled over, knocked down from a standing position, by a decidedly human form.

 

Letting out an “oof” as his back hit the bottom of the boat, Yixing found a warm weight pressed upon his chest. He found himself looking up at the face of an exceedingly pretty boy looming over him. Before Yixing could say anything, the pretty boy’s lips descended on his, and Yixing found himself being kissed in earnest.

 

At length, the pretty boy let up, sitting on his haunches. Following his lead, Yixing sat up too.

 

“Shixun,” Yixing said in greeting, knowing from the frown on the pretty boy’s face that he was in trouble, despite the passionate greeting the boy had just given him.

 

“You’re late today, Yixing ge-ge! Shixun waited so long for you!” The dragon pouted, folding his arms.

 

“I’m sorry,” Yixing said soothingly. “Remember how I told you yesterday that my younger brothers have been sick? I heard yesterday at the evening market that the healer had just come to our village, and he was staying at the village chief’s house for the night. So, this morning I went there and asked him to come to my house to take a look at my brothers.”

 

“Oh. That’s alright then. Shixun won’t be angry at Yixing ge-ge anymore.” Shixun dropped his angry stance and slid up to Yixing, clinging onto Yixing in a hug. “How are your brothers?”

 

“The healer says that they are going to alright. They just caught a cold. I bought medicine for them, and when I left the house, Mother was brewing it for them.”

 

“I hope your brothers will get well soon, Yixing ge-ge. Yixing ge-ge worries about them when they are sick, and I don’t like it when Yixing ge-ge is upset.”

 

Touched, Yixing pressed a kiss on the tip of Shixun’s nose. Shixun beamed at Yixing. His porcelain skin reflected the noon-day sun, and his eyes were sparkly and bright. He looked so beautiful that Yixing almost wished time would stop, would freeze at that instant, so that he could look upon Shixun like this forever.

 

“Would Yixing ge-ge want to catch fish now?”

 

Yixing nodded. Shixun had a tendency to want to play all day long, but after interacting with Yixing for a year, he had learnt that Yixing had a motto of work first, play later. Yixing would not entertain thoughts of any playing until the day’s catch was done, so to Shixun, the faster they got the day’s fishing out of the way the better.

 

Though they would be separating only for a short amount of time, that did not stop Shixun from giving Yixing a goodbye peck on the lips. Shixun jumped up and stood on the side of the boat, balancing his heels on the edge of the tip of the wooden planks that formed the walls of the boat. He did it so smoothly and elegantly that he barely rocked the boat as he did so, as if he were weightless. Then, in an elegant leap, the boy nimbly dived into the water, his streamlined form disappearing under the waves. Though Yixing could not see it, he knew that Shixun must be transforming into his dragon form in the depths beneath his boat. Yixing flung his net into the sea, watching his net bloom outwards and sink beneath the waves.

 

He did not have to wait long. Yixing felt the tell-tale dip of his fishing boat as it lurched to one side with the weight of a full catch of fish. He pulled up the rope, and the net was swarming with struggling fish. Though a lifetime of fishing had resulted in Yixing developing strong arms muscles, Yixing’s biceps still strained with the weight of the large catch. But suddenly, the burden of the weight disappeared. Yixing saw that Shixun was nudging the base of the net with his snout, helping to lift the heavy load into the boat. As Yixing emptied the load of fish into the boat, he was pleased to see that majority were made up of red grouper, which would fetch a good price at the market. He had once told Shixun, when Shixun was asking him curiously about what the evening market was like, which fish fetched better prices, and since then, Shixun always made it a point to help chase schools of such fish into Yixing’s net. Yixing petted Shixun’s snout in gratitude, and the great dragon nuzzled into Yixing, the tip of his nose as almost wide as Yixing’s waist.

 

Shixun watched patiently as Yixing worked to empty the net. When the net was empty, Yixing cast the net again and Shixun disappeared under the waves once more. While waiting, Yixing packed the wriggling fish from the bottom of the boat into empty barrels, filling them up with sea water to keep the fish alive and fresh. In this fashion, Yixing soon caught the maximum capacity of fish that his small fishing boat could carry, and anyway, Yixing couldn’t sell more than this in the evening market, not with his current pool of customers. As Yixing was putting away the last catch of fish, Shixun appeared again on the boat in human form, demanding another kiss. Smiling, Yixing obliged.

 

They squatted down together, scooping up the wriggling fish from the bottom of the boat to put into barrels. In his peripheral vision, Yixing watched Shixun as he moved around the boat nimbly and elegantly as always, unafraid of getting his embroidered silk robes and jade ornaments dirty as he scooped up the slimy flopping fish.

 

“Thank you,” said Yixing quietly, as he put the lid on the last barrel. “My brothers’ medicine cost one silver tael. Before I met you, owning one silver tael would have been an impossible dream. But today, I was able to afford it, because of you helping me with my catch every day for the past year.”

 

“Does this mean I’m important to Yixing ge-ge?” asked Shixun hopefully.

 

“Yes. Of course.” Yixing was surprised that Shixun even had to ask.

 

Shixun beamed brightly, bouncing up and down on his heels in joy. “Yixing ge-ge is important to Shixun too!”

 

They steered the boat to their little island, as was their usual practice once the day’s fishing was done. Yixing selected a big red grouper for lunch. Once, every fish Yixing caught was too precious to eat himself. But now, Yixing could easily spare one for a meal. Shixun watched as Yixing built a fire and cleaned the fish. Yixing pierced a stick through the mouth of the fish, and held it over the fire. As Yixing grilled the fish, Shixun unwrapped the steamed buns Yixing’s mother had packed. Shixun nibbled daintily on a steamed bun, intermittently tearing off chunks to feed to Yixing.

 

When the fish was roasted, Yixing passed the stick to Shixun, intending to let Shixun eat his fill first, while he would then eat whatever was leftover, as per usual. But Shixun was having none of that today. He pouted and demanded that Yixing feed him. Smiling, Yixing took back the fish. Ignoring the hot fish scalding his fingertips, Yixing peeled off a sizeable chunk from the best part of the fish, above the centre bone below the dorsal fin, and offered it to Shixun. Shixun leaned over and ate the piece of fish directly from Yixing’s fingers, his lips and tongue brushing over Yixing’s fingertips as he did so. This continued throughout the meal, with Yixing selecting pieces of fish from where the meat was juicy and tender and boneless for Shixun, while leaving the bony parts for himself.

 

When they had finished their meal, Yixing took out his Xun, an egg-shaped clay musical instrument with six holes. Blowing into it, he played a tune for Shixun, as was their daily after-lunch routine. Yixing had learnt how to play the Xun from his father. His original Xun had been lost at sea together with the shipwreck, but when his financial status improved, Yixing had bought another one at the evening market, and when Shixun had heard him play for the first time, Shixun had fallen in love with the sound, and demanded Yixing play for him every day.

 

“What tune is this? I haven’t heard this one before. It’s nice.”

 

“It’s something I just came up with on the spot.”

 

“It’s an original composition? You’re so talented, Yixing ge-ge. How did you do it? Come up with something so nice, just like that?”

 

It’s the feeling you give me put into a song, Yixing thinks. It’s the love I feel in my heart whenever I look at you, the warmth that tingles on my skin every time you touch me, the beauty of you being you that somehow comes out as musical notes when I blow into the Xun.

 

“I don’t know,” Yixing said.

 

“My Yixing ge-ge is the best,” Shixun firmly declared. “You are so good at everything!”

 

Yixing put away the Xun, and took out a piece of folded paper from his tunic.

 

“What’s that?” asked Shixun curiously as Yixing unfolded the paper.

 

“The prescription the healer wrote for my younger brothers. I can read most of the words, but there are a few I don’t know…”

 

Yixing pointed at the unfamiliar words. Shixun read them out to him and explained what they meant. Yixing dutifully repeated each word out loud, writing out the strokes in the sand with a stick as he did so, memorising how the words were written and spoken. Shixun sat by Yixing’s side, patiently waiting, hanging off Yixing’s arm or back hugging Yixing while resting his chin on Yixing’s shoulder.

 

When Yixing was confident that he committed the words to memory, he put aside to paper. “What would you like to do now?” he asked, looking at the positon of the sun in the sky. “We still have some time left. Maybe we could continue practising the sword play from yesterday? I’m still not sure of the strokes you taught me yesterday, so I think you shouldn’t teach me anything new yet.”

 

Shixun had been teaching Yixing some sword fighting. Shixun found martial arts fun, and he had been keen to teach Yixing, so that they could spar together. Practicing martial arts was usually Shixun’s favourite activity of the day, and normally he would be quick to produce their practice swords out of thin air when Yixing suggested sword fighting, but today he didn’t. Instead, he was bouncing up and down on his heels with barely contained excitement.

 

“Shall we leave off learning sword fighting for today, Yixing ge-ge? I have a special treat for you today.”

 

Oh. Yixing was curious. What was it?

 

“Do you remember what day is it today?”

 

Yixing stared blankly at Shixun. Shixun looked expectantly at Yixing.

 

Oh. Erm. Well… … it wasn’t Shixun’s birthday. Neither was it the Double Seventh Festival… …

 

“Yixing ge-ge doesn’t remember.”

 

Shixun pouted a little, making Yixing feel a stab of guilt. What could it be?

 

“It’s our one-year anniversary! We met one year ago today, don’t you remember?”

 

Of course it was. Yixing chastised himself inwardly for forgetting.

 

“Shixun has a special surprise for Yixing ge-ge. It’s something that I’ve been working hard on for months!”

 

“But I haven’t gotten you anything,” mumbled Yixing a little sheepishly.

 

“That’s alright! Yixing ge-ge can give me a kiss as a one-year anniversary present.”

 

Shixun leaned forward, turning his face to the side, presenting his left cheek to Yixing. Yixing pressed a kiss on Shixun’s cheek, and watched as a bright smile spread across Shixun’s face. Shixun demanded kisses frequently from Yixing, so kisses should be commonplace by now, yet whenever Yixing kissed Shixun, Shixun never failed to react with utter delight.

 

“Yixing ge-ge must be fair. You can’t just kiss one side, and not the other.” Shixun turned to face the other way, presenting his other cheek to Yixing. “So now, Yixing ge-ge must kiss this side too!”

 

Smiling, Yixing did as he was told. When the second kiss was claimed, Shixun now faced Yixing and playfully tapped his fingers on his lips. Yixing got the hint, and he kissed Shixun full on the mouth. When Yixing pulled back, Shixun was smiling, absolutely delighted that he managed to pull not only one, but three kisses out of Yixing.

 

“Now it’s time for Yixing ge-ge’s present!”

 

Shixun led Yixing to the water’s edge. Holding Yixing’s hand, he waded in, pulling Yixing along with him, until they were waist deep in the water. He stood facing Yixing and closed his eyes in concentration, holding his hands in the air in front of him, as if he were holding an invisible ball. The air between Shixun’s hands seem to whirl and spin, until Shixun was holding a transparent sphere in his hands.

 

“This sphere will allow you to breathe underwater. I’ve been practicing hard on this _fashu_ for the past few months. I made the edges of the sphere of air solid enough so that it will remain impenetrable by water, while the air inside is unaffected. This means when I go swimming deep underwater, I can bring Yixing ge-ge along too!”

 

It took a while for the implications of this to sink in. Yixing was about to be able to go deep under the sea, where no other human had ventured. Shixun carefully placed the sphere of air around Yixing’s head. The feeling was odd. Yixing could feel the weight of it around his head, though it was not exactly heavy. It was as if the air around him got slightly heavier. Thought the sphere was transparent, Yixing couldn’t help but notice his vision was slightly distorted, things that were immediately in front of him were wider than they should have been.

 

“Is it okay, Yixing ge-ge? Are you comfortable?” Shixun looked a little nervous, but his face brightened up in excitement when Yixing nodded.

 

“Let’s try going underwater, okay? We can do it slowly.”

 

They sank down beneath the waves. It was a surreal experience, to be underwater, but to not have the water touch your face. Out of reflex, Yixing held his breath, but then he remembered what the sphere was supposed to do. Tentatively, he sucked in a breath, and to his amazement, his breathing was smooth, as if he were above water. Shixun was looking anxiously at him, so he smiled and nodded, to let Shixun know he was okay. Shixun smiled back, and grabbed Yixing’s hand. Hand in hand, they swam deeper underwater, towards the open sea.

 

Yixing and Shixun had swum together many times in the bay surrounding the island before. The water was clear, the sand at the bottom white and powdery, dotted here and there with rocks and corals. They were both good swimmers, and could play endlessly in the water all afternoon long, playing underwater tag or doing all sorts of acrobatics, flips and somersaults, under the water. If Yixing saw a pretty shell lying on the seabed, he would dive in to pick it up for Shixun. Shixun had a collection of fifty or so such shells by now, which he told Yixing he used to line the edges of his bed frame back home in the Dragon Palace.

 

But this time, it was different because Yixing didn’t have to surface to breathe. This allowed him to swim deeper than ever before. Hand in hand, Yixing and Shixun swam, skimming just over the corals. As they left the island behind them, the seabed sloped further and further downwards. The water became less bright, and they started to see more sea creatures, shoals of fish swimming in unison, lone brightly coloured fish picking away at corals, seaweed and sea anemone that bent to and fro with the flow of the water.

 

They had reached a significant depth when Shixun led Yixing to an underwater rock. He let go of Yixing’s hand, and indicated with his hands that Yixing should hold on to the rock with both hands. Holding on to the rock, Yixing watched as Shixun swam a distance away from him. Though he had seen it many times before, watching Shixun transform was always a spectacular sight. More so this time because it was Yixing’s first time watching Shixun transform underwater. The fully transformed dragon swam towards Yixing, his streamlined body swaying from side to side in smooth undulating waves. He stretched out his neck in front of Yixing, and somehow, Yixing understood what Shixun wanted. He climbed on top of Shixun’s back, sitting on the crook of Shixun’s neck just behind his mane, holding onto Shixun’s horns with both hands.

 

Shixun took off, and then they were covering leagues at an alarming speed. Yixing was in awe of the world around him. He had spent a lifetime living near the sea, living off the sea, sailing on the sea, but never had he imagined what it was like beneath the waves.

 

Yixing saw all manner of creatures. Bright yellow coloured eels that looked quite scary because of their emotionless and vacant expressions, but who ducked quickly back into their holes when Shixun swam past them. Huge stingrays that swam at the bottom of the ocean near the seabed, flapping their enormous wing-like bodies. Yixing had only caught a stingray once in his life before, or more accurately, Yixing’s father had caught it while a young Yixing looked on in awe. It was the only time before this that Yixing had ever seen a stingray, and compared to these, it had been a tiny one. It fetched a good price at the evening market though, the most expensive fish Yixing and his father had ever sold.

 

A few sea turtles swam past them too, flapping their flippers slowly up and down, like how a bird would flap its wings. To Yixing’s delight, a pod of dolphins came to play. There were twelve of them in all, and they seemed to be friends with Shixun. They swam playfully alongside Shixun, weaving in and out the dragon’s long undulating body, racing Shixun as he swam. They were curious about Yixing too, a few of the smaller younger ones even going as far as to nuzzle Yixing with their snouts. Yixing reached out and petted them. But as Shixun went deeper still, the dolphins left them, opting to go back to the surface instead.

 

The entire journey had been more than surreal for Yixing so far, but the one thing that made Yixing’s jaw drop was when a whale shark swam in front of them. It was huge, almost as big as Shixun. It had a huge blunt looking snout, and its dark blue body was covered in luminescent white spots. The whale shark seemed to know Shixun too, and Shixun actually paused in his swimming to greet him. Unlike the playful relationship Shixun seemed to have with the dolphins, Shixun and the whale shark seemed to have a relationship that was based on mutual respect. As Shixun and the whale shark touched snout to snout, Yixing’s vision suddenly swam. Yixing had been so in awe of the entire experience that he hadn’t noticed it, but he suddenly realised that he been feeling increasing light-headed for a while now. He tried to take a deep breath, but suddenly, there was no air to be had. He struggled a little, tugging on Shixun’s mane, trying to convey his predicament to Shixun. But before he could be sure if he gotten through to Shixun, the world around him shut down and the last thing Yixing could register seeing was blackness.

 

“Yixing ge-ge.”

 

The sun was too bright. He was lying with his back on the sand. Yixing blinked as he took in his surroundings. They were back on the island

 

“Yixing ge-ge, are you alright?”

 

Yixing tried to sit up, but his head felt too heavy to lift. Dizziness overcame him and he fell backwards back into Shixun’s lap. Resigned, Yixing lay there until his spinning head cleared. The next time he tried to sit up, he succeeded this time.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, are you alright?” Shixun asked again.

 

Yixing nodded. Other than feeling faint, he felt fine. In fact, he felt something more, a warmth travelling around his insides, strengthening him from within.

 

“What happened?”

 

“You fainted from the lack of air.” Shixun was in tears. “It’s all my fault, Yixing ge-ge. I hadn’t thought of it, that the air inside the sphere might run out after a while. I hadn’t even realised you had passed out, until the whale shark told me. I rushed us back to the surface, but even then you didn’t wake up. I brought you back to the island, but still, you didn’t wake up.”

 

Shixun was crying. As with everything he did, Shixun was crying elegantly, sad delicate sniffles as beads of tears rolled down his cheeks. Yixing couldn’t stand the sight of it. He gathered Shixun into his arms, shushing Shixun as the boy cried into his shoulder.

 

“I was so scared that Yixing ge-ge was going to die. I gave Yixing ge-ge a breath of my _xianqi_. Thankfully, Yixing ge-ge woke up after that.”

 

 _Xianqi_? That must be the warmth that was currently travelling inside Yixing. Already, Yixing could feel its effects. Only moments before, he had been feeling weak and faint, but now, he felt good, energised and alert, like he had felt never before in his life, as if the travelling warmth was strengthening his organs and blood circulation from within.

 

“I’m alright, Shixun. Better than alright, in fact. Please don’t worry about me.”

 

Shixun lifted his head from Yixing’s shoulder, peering up at Yixing through teary lashes.

 

“Yixing ge-ge isn’t angry at Shixun?”

 

Yixing shook his head.

 

“But Shixun ruined everything! It’s our one-year anniversary and Shixun wanted to give Yixing ge-ge the best day of his life, but in the end, Shixun nearly killed Yixing ge-ge!”

 

Shixun broke out in a fresh wave of tears. Yixing tilted up Shixun’s face, and gently kissed away his tears. As was Yixing’s intended effect, the loving gesture made Shixun stop crying, his gentle sniffles dying away.

 

“Today was the best day of my life,” Yixing told Shixun sincerely.

 

“Really?”

 

Yes, really. Because every day spent with you becomes the new best day of my life.

 

“Thank you for showing me the underwater world, Shixun. It is truly beautiful.”

 

“It is, isn’t it?” Yixing was glad to see Shixun back to his perky self. “I’ve been wanting to show Yixing ge-ge for ages! I wanted to bring Yixing ge-ge to the Dragon Palace, to show you where I live. But we were only halfway there. I’ll work harder on the magical sphere. I’ll bring you there one day!”

 

“That’ll be really nice, Shixun. But for now, I had better head back to shore. It’s getting late.”

 

The sun was starting its evening descent into the horizon, painting the sky in hues of gold, pink and orange. Shixun pouted, but obediently offered no protest. As Yixing sailed his boat back to shore, he couldn’t help noticing certain tasks, like unfurling the sail or lifting the anchor seemed much easier as usual, as if the sail or the anchor weighed less, which wasn’t possible. When he voiced this to Shixun, Shixun shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

 

“I think it must be because of my _xianqi_ , it’s making you stronger. I think your inner strength is probably comparable to the best pugilists in the world right now. Like at the same level as people who have been cultivating their inner strength for fifty or sixty years or something.”

 

Shixun didn’t look happy when he said this. In fact, he was looking decidedly guilty.

 

“Are you not supposed to have given me your _xianqi_?”

 

“My father said I am not supposed to give mortals any of my _xianqi_ , ever. It’s against the orders of the Jade Emperor or something like that. But it was an emergency! I was so scared Yixing ge-ge was going to die otherwise.”

 

Yixing felt a stab of guilt that he was the cause of Shixun having to break a heavenly degree.

 

“Would you be punished, if this gets found out?”

 

“Erm. Let’s just hope no one ever finds out! That shouldn’t be a problem, I think. No one should be able to tell, unless you come across another immortal, and what are the chances of that? And even if that happens, let’s just firmly deny me giving you _xianqi_ ever happened. We’ll just say that you’re a youth prodigy who managed to develop a high level of inner strength at a young age!”

 

Yixing couldn’t help laughing at that. Shixun was cute. Too soon, they reached shore. Predictably, Shixun pouted again and looked absolutely miserable.

 

“We’ll see each other again tomorrow.”

 

“I wish I could go on shore with Yixing ge-ge. I want to see the evening market. It sounds so fun! I’ll help Yixing ge-ge to sell fish, and I want to see all the stalls. I want to meet your family, your mother and your brothers. I want to see your hut. I want to spend all day and all night with Yixing ge-ge. I don’t want to only be able to see you in the day, and then have to separate from you at night.”

 

“Your father says that you are still too young to go on shore,” Yixing reminded Shixun. “Your father says that you’re not to go into the human world until you’re 500 years old. That’s only three years from now. We’ll do everything you said you wanted to do, but in three years’ time, alright?”

 

“I don’t want to wait three years. I want to be 500 years old right now!”

 

Yixing laughed and kissed his petulant dragon on the forehead.

 

“Go back to the sea for now, alright?” Yixing said gently. “Tomorrow will be here before you know it, and we’ll see each other again.”

 

“Goodbye, Yixing ge-ge. Don’t be late tomorrow, alright?”

 

“I won’t.”

 

With that promise, Shixun gave Yixing one last peck on the lips. Then, he dived elegantly beneath the waves. Yixing sailed his boat back into his usual little cove. Yixing docked his boat. With the newly acquired _xianqi_ in his body, carrying the buckets full of seawater and fish was an easy feat for him today, and he loaded his cart in double time. Just as he was about to leave the beach, he happened to look back out to sea, and was surprised to see Shixun’s head in dragon form, peeking out from beneath the waves, in the open sea a distance from shore. Yixing waved at the dragon, and made a gesture to indicate that Shixun should go. Yixing watched as the dragon obediently sank his head into the water, disappearing from view. Pushing his cart, Yixing made his way up the winding path up through the rocks.

 

When he reached the peak of the cliff, he turned back one more time, and to his surprise, Shixun was still there, his head held up above the water at the same spot. Even from a distance, Yixing could see how forlorn Shixun looked. For a moment, Yixing held Shixun’s gaze as they both looked at each other silently. Hoping the look was enough to convey the depth of love he had for Shixun, Yixing reluctantly turned his back to the dragon and made his way down the other side of the hill, towards the village.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fashu = magical skill  
> xianqi = immortal breath


	3. Chapter 3

Yixing pushed his cart up the dirt road. As he neared the village, the woods around him made way for cultivated paddy fields, young green shoots sprouting out from the mud of the flooded fields at neatly placed intervals. Usually, at this time of the day, Yixing would spot some farmers still knee-deep in the mud with their oxen as they finished up the day’s planting, friendly uncles who had watched Yixing grow up, and whom Yixing would greet respectfully as he passed them. There would be other people on the road too, traders and merchants from the big towns further inland, who had come to Yixing’s village to buy fish and other assorted goods that were cheaper here as compared to the towns where they had come from.

 

But today, Yixing spotted no one. Yixing was entirely alone as he pushed his cart down the road, and it was extremely disconcerting.

 

At last, he spotted the familiar cluster of buildings nestled at the foot of a hill, against a backdrop of verdant greenery covered slopes. Even at a distance, Yixing could see that something was wrong. There was no one milling at the entrance of the village. The wooden gate of the village was broken, the smattered edges of the double doors hanging off the hinges. The fish-shaped lanterns that hung on either of the gates were sliced open, their torn and tattered remains fluttering in the breeze.

 

A sudden scream pierced through the air, jolting Yixing to his senses. Abandoning his cart, Yixing ran towards the village. As he approached, he could hear more cries and screams, sounds of blade ringing against steel. A sight of horror greeted him when he entered the village. Men were fighting in the streets. Women and children were running and hiding, screaming and crying.

 

Bandits.

 

A girl around Yixing’s age ran past Yixing. Yixing recognised her. Her name was Xiaoqian. Her hair was in a disarray, and the outer layers of her clothes had been torn off her. She was clutching the front of her bodice desperately as she ran. Yixing bodily intercepted the bandit who was hot at her heels, giving Xiaoqian the opportunity to escape. Furious, the bandit turned his attention to Yixing. The blade of the axe came slicing down, Yixing desperately shot out a hand. To Yixing’s complete surprise, his desperate attempt to stop the axe’s descent worked. The bandit was stout and muscular, and by all rights, the bandit’s strength should have overwhelmed Yixing’s. Wide-eyed, the bandit tried to wrench the axe from Yixing’s grasp, but to no avail. In a moment of epiphany, Yixing realised that this was the after effects of receiving Shixun’s breath of _xianqi_. Using his free hand, Yixing hit the bandit square in the chest with his left palm. The bandit flew backwards, landing on a wooden market stall and smashing it beneath him.

 

Around him, the men of the village were valiantly trying to put up the best fight they could with their pitchforks, kitchen knives and hatchets. Yixing pulled a bandit off an elderly farmer, known in the village as Uncle Nine, grabbing the bandit from the back by the waist and swinging him to the ground. Another bandit charged towards Yixing with his sword. At the last minute, Yixing nimbly stepped to the side, causing the bandit to lose his balance. Taking advantage of this, Yixing used two fingers to hit the bandit on the acupoint on his right wrist. The bandit experienced a sudden loss of strength in his arm, and dropped the sword he was carrying. Yixing neatly caught the falling sword.

 

Having a sword in hand gave Yixing a marked boost of confidence. Yixing fell into first stance of the _jianfa_ Shixun had been teaching him. With his first stroke, he easily disarmed a bandit, his sword stroke hitting at the right strength and angle to send the bandit’s weapon flying out of his hand. In his second, he easily evaded a bandit’s attack by dodging to the side. The bandit’s attack was too direct, a crude attempt at a front stab. After the side step, Yixing found himself in the perfect position to strike. The bandit’s entire side was left exposed, and Yixing easily slashed him on the forearm, causing him to drop his broad knife.

 

The bandits, thought numerous and well-armed, were not particularly refined at martial arts, Yixing realised. They merely waved their weapons around, relying on brute force instead of skill. Unlike the bumbling bandits, Shixun’s _jianfa_ guided Yixing so that his every movement was precise, every effort efficient, every impact maximised. Because of this, Yixing found himself able to duel with three or four bandits at one time. Yixing weaved in and out of the bandits around him, delivering blows where they least expected, evading their attacks which were awfully predicable.

 

“No! Please… No…”

 

The voice was not particularly loud or strong. It was soft and frail, but even so, it cut through the chaos to reach Yixing.

 

It was Auntie Ling.

 

She was kneeling beside the ruined remains of her stall, engaged in a tug-of-war with a bandit who was trying to wrench the small handwoven reed basket that she used as her money box from her. There couldn’t be more than a handful of copper coins in it, but Auntie Ling stubbornly refused to let it go. Fed up, the bandit swung down his broad knife upon the old woman.

 

Yixing leapt to Auntie Ling’s aid. Jumping in between the two, Yixing faced the bandit head on, his sword meeting the bandit’s broad knife in a clash of steel.

 

A cry to his right. Another bandit was charging towards Yixing with an axe. Still engaged with the bandit in front of him, Yixing was stuck. He could not move to block or dodge. Helpless, Yixing watched the arc of the axe as it came swinging towards him.  

 

Suddenly, a sword intercepted the axe. So fast that Yixing could barely see it happening, the bandit was dead, a sword pierced through his body. In the next instant, Yixing was saved from the bandit in front of him as well. He collapsed to the ground, dead, his expression shocked and vacant. Yixing looked up upon his saviour. Tall and imposing, he struck an impressive figure. He was dressed in flowing robes, pure white from head to toe, save for two small silver snowflakes embroidered on each shoulder. The lower half of his robes hung into layers, which swung elegantly as he darted around nimbly as he duelled. His hair was tied up on the top of his head in a neat knot, with a white cylindrical headpiece that spiralled upwards.

 

Though Yixing had seen such robes only once in his life before this, Yixing recognised it immediately.

 

This man was a disciple of Mount Shu.

 

Famed far and wide, Mount Shu was the top pugilistic sect of the age. Easily recognisable by their flowing white robes, Mount Shu disciples roamed the land, pledged to help the weak and to stand up for justice. Their martial arts were renowned to be without par. According to performing troupes and storytellers, Mount Shu disciples could scale walls, skim over water, and fight off a hundred enemies at once.

 

Yixing had seen a Mount Shu disciple once before, when he was very young. His father had brought him to the big town over the hill to watch a Lunar New Year street festival. There had been lion dancers, street musicians and dancers, but the one thing Yixing remembered the most was a man in white flowing robes. Too eager to watch the performers, Yixing had climbed up the roof of a building for a better view, his father and mother not stopping him because they had their hands full with Yixing’s brothers, who were then only new-borns, to notice Yixing’s antics. It was going well for Yixing at first, the rooftop vantage allowing him unparalleled enjoyment of the procession in the street below, until young Yixing missed his step. Even after all this years, Yixing could vividly remember his fear as he was falling through the air. But he was saved from colliding into the ground by a man in white flowing robes, who caught him in mid-air. With Yixing in his arms, they had descended back to ground in a controlled spiral, with the man handing Yixing back to his parents safe and sound.

 

Yixing watched in awe as the man before him moved just as nimbly as the man he had met so many years before. His sword strokes were swift, fast, and deadly, and he moved with a grace that Yixing could only admire.

 

“Mount Shu! Mount Shu is here!”

 

The myriad of cries came from villagers and bandits alike. Aware of the presence of a strong enemy in their midst, the bandits paused in their looting, and were all converging on the Mount Shu disciple. He was fighting the bandits, ten to one.

 

“Cover my back!”

 

Belatedly, Yixing realised it was him whom the Mount Shu disciple was addressing. Shaken out of his stupor, Yixing grabbed his sword. The Mount Shu disciple disposed of a bandit that had been in between Yixing and him, and Yixing leapt to take the bandit’s place beside the Mount Shu disciple. The Mount Shu disciple turned his back to Yixing, and then they were fighting back to back. For every ten bandits, the Mount Shu disciple fought off seven, while Yixing fought against only three, but even so, Yixing was glad to play a part to help.

 

“The bandits are fleeing!”

 

A cheer went up amongst the villagers. Indeed, by this time, most of the bandits were injured, and were limping away from both Yixing and the Mount Shu disciple. Yixing was panting, barely able to stand, sweat dripping off his brow. Yixing and the Mount Shu disciple glanced at each other. Unanimously, they gave each other a small smile, a bond of understanding forged between two men who had just gone through life and death together.

 

“Our chief is here! Our chief is here!”

 

This time, the cheer was going up from amongst the bandits. Both Yixing and the Mount Shu disciple turned to the end of the street, where the cries were coming from. A man appeared the in the centre of the lane. Tall and burly, his unshaven face was covered in dark stubble. His hair was unkempt, falling down his shoulders in a shaggy mane. His weapon of choice was a couple of curved sabres, one in each hand.

 

“Be careful.” Speaking in calm, measured tones, the Mount Shu disciple’s eyes were trained on the bandit chief even as he spoke to his Yixing. “This man… his aura… he’s not what he seems.”

 

Yixing was about to ask the Mount Shu disciple what he meant when the bandit chief attacked. It was a direct blow, which would have been easy to dodge, if not for the bandit chief’s superhuman speed. Yixing and the Mount Shu disciple barely raised their swords in time. The sheer strength of the bandit chief brought Yixing to his knees. It took Yixing’s entire strength to hold his sword above his head, his arms and sword trembling with the effort to keep the sabre at bay. To Yixing’s right, the Mount Shu disciple was faring slightly better. He was still standing upright, though his face clenched in strain.

 

With his free hand, the Mount Shu disciple made a hand gesture and muttered an incantation. A sudden explosion of white light erupted from the Mount Shu’s disciple’s hand, hitting the bandit chief in the square in the eyes. As the bandit chief screamed in pain, the strength in his sword arm decreasing considerably, allowing Yixing to parry the sabre away. The Mount Shu disciple seized Yixing by the waist, and Yixing found himself hoisted in the air. They landed on the roofed top of the wall behind them, before the Mount Shu disciple took to the air again. They landed neatly behind the wall, and Yixing found himself inside the courtyard of the Dragon King Temple, the only temple in their village. Yixing sat at the base of the wall next to the Mount Shu disciple, trying to catch his breath.

 

“That man… his strength… his speed… he can’t possibly be human.”

 

Yixing stared at the Mount Shu disciple. How could he not be human?

 

“If he’s not human, what is he?”

 

“A demon.”

 

The Mount Shu disciple said this with absolute finality. Once, Yixing would have said he did not believe in demons, ghosts, or gods, but since he had met Shixun, Yixing could not deny that the supernatural existed.

 

“Every type of demon has its own kind of weakness. Right now, I do not know what kind of demon he is, and this makes him hard to deal with. I need to make him show his original form.”

 

Yixing had heard of this, tales told to him by his late grandmother, of animal demons who could take the form of human beings if they spent enough time, hundreds or even thousands of years, cultivating The Way. Little Yixing had loved hearing such tales, but when he grew up, he had dismissed them as stories told by adults to humour children. He had never expected to meet a real demon, face to face.

 

“Do you have any idea how to make it show its real form?”

 

The Mount Shu disciple removed a small mirror from within the fold of his robes. The eight sides of the mirror were framed in a bronzed Taoist trigram.

 

“If I can trap the demon within the light of the mirror, it would show its real nature. But I would need him to stay in the same spot for some time, so that I can set up the spell.”

 

Yixing nodded. He understood what the Mount Shu disciple wanted from him. It will be Yixing’s task to engage the bandit while the Mount Shu disciple worked on the spell.

 

Loud sounds of hacking could be heard. Someone outside the temple was using an axe to chop down the closed wooden door. Yixing got up to his feet, holding his sword.

 

“I’ll fight him when he enters the door. I’ll try my best to keep him in the same spot.”

 

“Your help is much appreciated, _xiao xiongdi_.”

 

In a single leap and a rustle of cloth, the Mount Shu disciple ascended the roof of the temple. Hiding behind the ridge at the centre of the roof, the Mount Shu disciple waited in ambush. Yixing got into his preparatory stance, one foot in front of the other, his sword raised and held parallel to his shoulders, pointing towards the door.

 

The door gave way with a loud crash. The bandit chief came barrelling in. Yixing met his sabres head on. It was two sabres pressed against Yixing’s single sword. The bandit chief’s strength was superhuman, and Yixing knew he would not be able to sustain it for so long if not for Shixun’s _xianqi_ having strengthened him. Even then, Yixing could not hold for long. Deftly, he turned his sword to the side. Not having anticipated the shift in weight, the bandit chief fell forwards. Yixing side stepped the falling demon, taking advantage of his exposed neck to land a blow. Just when it seemed that Yixing’s sword was going to pierce into the bandit chief’s neck, the bandit chief turned around, a single sabre meeting Yixing’s sword. They were in another deadlock, but this time, it was Yixing with on top, Yixing with the upper vantage point. Yixing took advantage of the bandit chief’s awkward twisted body position to step on his other hand, causing him to let go of his sabre. Yixing kicked it away.

 

It was no more than a moment’s distraction, when Yixing’s eye was on the sabre instead of on the bandit chief, when the bandit chief suddenly released an outburst of strength. With a cry, the bandit chief parried to the left, and the sudden strong movement caused Yixing’s sword to fly out of his hand. The bandit chief’s sabre came slashing down, forcing Yixing to roll over to dodge it. Yixing had barely scrambled to his feet, when the bandit chief’s attack came again. Yixing had no reaction time. He could not dodge this blow.

 

Just then, when the bandit chief’s blade was a hair’s breadth from splitting Yixing’s skull into two, a sudden burst of bright light shone onto the bandit chief. The bandit chief was trapped in the beam of light, snarling and thrashing. Yixing quickly scrambled backwards, putting some distance between himself and the bandit chief.

 

The bandit chief was screaming and thrashing on the ground, desperately trying to escape the beam of light. Yixing looked up, and saw that the Mount Shu disciple had the mirror suspended in mid-air in front of him, and the beam of light was shining out from it. He was muttering incantations fervently, his palms joined together, index and middle finger pointed skywards.

 

Yixing watched as the bandit chief’s body swelled. His clothes tore as his flesh bulged and burgeoned. He fell forwards, hands on the ground. His arms elongated, until they were no longer arms, but legs. Muscles popped and hair sprouted out of his body. Yixing stared, transfixed, until the transformation was over.

 

A bear stood within the beam of light, snarling and baring its teeth.

 

The Mount Shu disciple had been right.

 

The bandit chief was a demon.

 

A bear demon, to be precise.

 

Yixing stood transfixed as the bear rolled its head back and snarled, its growls reverberating throughout the temple. It charged at Yixing, too quick despite its girth for Yixing to dodge. Yixing found himself flying backwards through the air, landing at the base of a massive altar, knocking the huge burning incense sticks askew. Yixing looked up at the words carved on the altar. He had landed at the base of the altar of the Third Son of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. The altar stood a way behind that of the Dragon King’s, the last one in the row beside those of the First Son and the Second Son.

 

“Shixun,” Yixing said to it. “Shixun. Help.”

 

The bear lunged at Yixing again. The Mount Shu disciple landed in front of Yixing, shielding Yixing from the bear. He had his sword on one hand, and a yellow paper talisman in the other. He was fending off the beast with his sword, while trying to paste the talisman on the beast’s forehead, no easy task, as the bear guarded itself strongly with his teeth and jaws.

 

With a might swipe of its paw, the Mount Shu disciple was sent sprawling on the ground, his sword flung out of his hand, the talisman fluttering out of his reach. The bear pounced on the fallen talisman, shredding it to pieces with its sharp claws.

 

Yixing watched as the shredded pieces scattered and spun away in the sudden gust of wind. He looked upwards. The sky, that had been sunny only moments ago was now overcast, blanketed in stormy grey clouds. Thunder rumbled and flashes of lightning could be seen amongst the clouds.

 

The bear lunged at Yixing. But before it could reach Yixing, a sudden flash of lightning struck the ground in between Yixing and the bear, forcing the bear to back away. A loud roar reverberated from the heavens.

 

Yixing looked up. A great silver dragon descended from the clouds, rain and lightning in its wake. It landed on the roof of the temple, scattering roof tiles because of its great weight. The dragon formed a wave of silver on the roof of the temple, its form made even more intimidating by the backdrop of rolling storm clouds behind it. It reared his head and roared, and the heavens answered with thunder and lightning.

 

Rain was falling in earnest now, drenching Yixing to the bone. The bear whined, fur standing up on its hackles as it tried to shake the water away. It took a couple of steps back, away from the dragon, but when the dragon roared at it, it stood its ground and growled back.

 

The dragon leapt off the roof. He landed next to Yixing with a heavy thud, his claws breaking some flagstones in the process. The bear would have been crushed under one of its claws had it not rolled away just in time. The dragon lowered its head, putting it on the ground next to where Yixing was standing, and somehow, Yixing understood what the dragon wanted.

 

Yixing climbed onto Shixun’s neck, sitting behind his head. He held onto Shixun’s horns for leverage, as Shixun launched himself into the air, stalking the bear from aloft. The bear rounded a corner, ducking behind a wall, but Shixun merely flew over the wall. His front claws dug into the tiled roof of the wall, sending fragments flying. Using his long neck, Shixun lunged at the bear, but it ducked away in time, though Shixun managed to draw blood, deep long gashes that bloomed on the bear’s hide.

 

The bear was fleeing haphazardly now. It smashed its way through a wooden side door, spilling out of the Dragon King Temple and onto the main street. Townspeople had lined the streets, and when Shixun landed in the middle of it, screams and cries filled the air. The townspeople flung themselves to the ground, kow-towing before Shixun, their dragon deity who had appeared before them in the flesh.

 

Ignoring the villagers, Shixun focused only the bear. The dragon and bear fought, tooth for tooth, claw for paw, but it was obvious that Shixun was much stronger than the bear demon. Defeating the bear demon was only a matter of time.

 

A blow from Shixun sent the bear skidding clear across the street, crashing against fences and street lamps. The bear lay there, immobile. Shixun went in for the kill. But just when Shixun’s jaws were about to close in, the bear suddenly darted under Shixun’s jaw. Its immobility had been but a feint. Before Shixun could react, it had slid under Shixun’s belly. Yixing whipped his head around. The bear pounded on the ground, lunging towards the crowd of villagers, throwing itself at a little girl who was the forefront of the crowd.

 

In an instant, Yixing understood the bear’s intentions. Since it was no match for Shixun, it sought to find a human hostage, to buy itself leverage. Shixun, though fast and agile for his huge dragon body, was not going to be able stop bear demon in time before it seized the little girl.

 

Digging his heels on the sides of Shixun’s neck, Yixing let energy coil up and gather in the shins of his bent legs, before he launched himself in a controlled somersault through the air. Adrenaline coursed through his body as he spun in the air. Yixing found himslef landing right where he wanted, in front of the little girl, facing the charging bear. Even before Yixing’s spinning world righted itself, Yixing stabbed his blade forward, accurately estimating where the bear’s charging head would be.

 

As Yixing’s blade hit home, the impact of the force jarred Yixing’s elbow and shoulders, but Yixing held his sword steady, forcing it deeper, forcing it forwards. The bear might have given a scream of pain, but to Yixing, everything else was drowned out by the drumming of his own heartbeat in his ears.

 

When the world righted itself around Yixing, he was standing in front of the bear, his sword embedded through the roof of the bear’s gaping mouth. Rain was falling in sheets, plastering Yixing’s hair to his forehead, his clothes to his body. Water dripped down the side of the face.

 

Yixing let go of the sword. The bear demon thudded to ground, lying on its side, its expression blank and vacant. Cheers rang out from all around him, but Yixing focused only on Shixun.

 

Rain cascaded off Shixun’s silvery scales as he loomed over Yixing, the two of them maintaining eye contact despite the difference in their heights. Shixun was beautiful, ethereal, radiating strength. He had come, when Yixing had called out for him. He had come, when Yixing needed him the most. He had come, shown himself to the bear demon, to the Mount Shu disciple, to all the villagers, to answer Yixing’s plea for help. He had fought alongside Yixing, lent Yixing his strength, allowing Yixing to overcome a foe much stronger than Yixing himself.

 

Shixun bent down his head again, and Yixing climbed onto the back of his neck. Shixun took off into the sky with Yixing, sending the villagers into another wave of kow-tows. Shixun’s flight into the sky was smooth, his long body rippling from side to side. Rain pelted down around them, but Yixing did not mind. As long as Shixun was by his side, he felt an inner warmth that kept all cold at bay.

 

During the battle with the bear demon, evening had long since given way to night. The pouring rain meant that the usual fires in the braziers around the village weren’t lit, but there were several households that had lit lamps. Yixing looked down at them in wonder, the bright spots of light flickering in dark so far down below him and Shixun. It felt surreal, to have nothing but large expanse of empty air beneath him.

 

As Shixun left land behind and headed towards the open sea, they also left the rain clouds behind them. Yixing felt the wind in his face, whipping through his wet hair and clothes. The night sky was beautifully clear. They flew under the white round moon. The moon shone a moonlit path on the sea below, illuminating the waves that Yixing would have been otherwise unable to see in the dark. Above them, the stars sparkled, like brilliant white jewels set in the night sky.

 

Though it was dark, familiarity with the ocean meant Yixing knew exactly where they were as Shixun flew through the night sky. Yixing spotted their familiar little island, solidary and peeking up from amongst the waves, and sure enough, Shixun started his descent towards it. The white sandy beach was just below them when the dragon Yixing was riding on transformed, and it was a human form that hugged Yixing around the waist as they descended from the sky, their feet landing gently on the soft sand.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, are you alright?” Shixun held Yixing by the shoulders as he looked Yixing up and down. “Are you injured anywhere?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

“Really? Are you sure?”

 

Shixun continued to inspect Yixing for injuries, and only looked mollified when he really couldn’t find any.

 

“The nerve of that bear demon! How dare he try to wreck havoc in the Dragon King Temple? Did he think we would allow it? And how dare he lay a finger on Yixing ge-ge! But Yixing ge-ge, I must say you looked so heroic when you killed the bear demon!”

 

“You came.” Yixing cupped Shixun’s face in his hands. “I called for you. And you came.”

 

“Of course I would come immediately when Yixing ge-ge calls for me. I came as fast as I could. I was so scared that I would be too late, that Yixing ge-ge would get hurt before I could make it there. I was so scared, and the feeling was so painful. I never had such a feeling before. It was so unbearable, I thought I that I might die, but I told myself that I couldn’t die until I had seen Yixing ge-ge, made sure Yixing ge-ge is safe and well…”

 

Shixun found himself unable to finish his sentence, because Yixing’s lips were on his. Yixing felt Shixun’s hands on his back and around his waist, drawing him close to deepen the kiss. When they separated, Shixun was smiling, happy that it was Yixing who had initiated the kiss. Shixun planted another kiss on Yixing’s forehead, and with that kiss, Yixing, who had been soaked to the bone, felt a warmth travel through him. His clothes, hair and skin became dry, as if he had never been wet in the first place.

 

“Would you get into trouble, if your father knew that you went into the human world?”

 

“I don’t care if I do. Yixing ge-ge needed my help, and Yixing ge-ge is the most important! But actually, I do think I might get away with this. My father and brothers aren’t home. My father went to a meeting with the other Dragon Kings. There has been an increase of demonic activity recently. All the major rivers and seas have seen water demons sinking boats and ships and inciting water animals like sharks and sea snakes to attack humans. So, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas are meeting, along with the other dragons that watch over the major rivers. My father left my oldest brother, Yifan, in charge. But after my father left, we received an invitation from the Jade Empress to attend the Feast of Peaches. Since my father wasn’t around, my oldest brother went to attend the feast in his place, leaving my second brother, Lu Han, in charge. But a couple of days ago, there was an underwater volcanic eruption in the middle of the Eastern Sea. The sea creatures living around there appealed to the Dragon Palace for help, so my second brother went to settle it, to use his _fashu_ to contain the damage, and he left Shixun in charge.”

 

Yixing smiled. Shixun looked so proud to be put in charge.

 

“What are you in charge of?”

 

“The Dragon Palace, making sure everything is run well. And also, answering the prayers that are made in all the temples dedicated to the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. There’s a big temple in the Dragon Palace grounds, and from there, we can hear the prayers made by the worshippers at the Dragon King Temples from all around the world. As long as it’s a prayer made in a Dragon King of the Eastern Sea Temple, we can hear it. Normally, my father and brothers are the ones who grant prayers, but Shixun’s _fashu_ is pretty good now! Not as good as my father and my brothers yet, but much better compared to when I was younger. It’s enough to answer basic prayers. Most people pray for a good catch, or good weather out at sea, and Shixun can do that. That’s how I heard Yixing ge-ge calling for me. I was in the Dragon Palace Temple, listening to all the prayer requests for today, and then suddenly I heard Yixing ge-ge’s voice. I think my heart nearly stopped.”

 

Yixing gently kissed the tip of Shixun’s nose. Yixing hugged Shixun closer to him, and for a time, neither of them spoke. They merely held each other quietly under the moonlight, the silence of the night only broken by the sound the waves lapping on shore.

 

After a while, Yixing broke the silence, “You have been left in charge for a couple of days now?”

 

Shixun nodded, looking pleased, like a child that was eagerly anticipating to be praised, or a puppy expecting to be petted on the head.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

Yixing, in general, told Shixun everything that was going on in his life. He had assumed that it was the same for Shixun too, but this incident showed otherwise. Yixing wasn’t angry, he was merely asking because he wanted to know. Shixun’s face fell slightly.

 

“I did not tell Yixing ge-ge, because I was afraid that Yixing ge-ge might get angry with me.”

 

“Why would I be?” Yixing asked, perplexed.

 

“Because I spend all day with Yixing ge-ge instead of stationing myself at the Dragon Palace Temple, answering prayers.”

 

Yixing’s eyebrows furrowed as he digested this. He looked up at Shixun, a reprimand rising up inside him and about to fall out from his lips, but Shixun quickly continued, cutting him off.

 

“But I make up for it at night! After I say goodbye to Yixing ge-ge, I spend all night at the Dragon Palace Temple answering all the prayers that have been made during the day. Shixun doesn’t leave a single prayer unanswered, promise!”

 

Shixun looked so sincere and contrite, Yixing found the reprimand that had been bubbling within him die away into nothing. He tweaked Shixun’s nose, to let Shixun know he wasn’t angry at him.

 

“If you can answer prayers that ask for a good catch from afar using your _fashu_ , does that mean that actually you don’t have to physically be there to help me with my catch every day?”

 

Shixun coloured at this, the blush on his face clearly visible despite the darkness of the night.

 

“Shixun needed a reason to be on your boat every day,” Shixun confessed. “I know for sure now that Yixing ge-ge likes me, but when we first knew each other one year ago, I wasn’t sure where I stood with Yixing ge-ge. Yixing ge-ge helped Shixun at first because Shixun was injured, but then Shixun recovered, and Shixun wasn’t sure if Yixing ge-ge would still allow Shixun to follow you around. So, Shixun started helping Yixing ge-ge to fish, hoping that Yixing ge-ge won’t mind having Shixun around if that’s the case.”

 

Yixing remembered their early days together. Every day, without fail, the moment Yixing’s fishing boat reached open sea, the dragon would appear, climbing into Yixing’s boat, immediately latching onto Yixing and demanding to be kissed. Shixun looked nothing except bright and happy then, and Yixing never suspected that Shixun had actually been insecure about his welcome. Perhaps that had been Yixing’s fault. Yixing remembered how stiff and awkward he was at first around Shixun, but that had been because of how shy he was, rather than him not wanting Shixun around.

 

“Shixun, you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

 

Shixun beamed so brightly, his face seemed to shine in the pale moonlight.

 

“I should go back to shore now.”

 

“But why?” Shixun’s face fell, his pout making an appearance. “Night has already fallen. Why don’t we spend tonight together on the island? I’ll build a fire, I’ll make sure Yixing ge-ge is warm and comfortable.”

 

“My mother might have heard about the bandit attack on the village. She would be worried about me. I have to go home to let her know that I am safe and well.”

 

Shixun offered no further argument at this. He transformed into a dragon, and lowered his neck, so that Yixing could up behind his head. Yixing was expecting Shixun to take off into the air, but instead Shixun slipped into the water. Shixun kept the top of his head half above the water, so that as Yixing sat at the back of his neck, his legs were in the water from his knees downwards, but the rest of Yixing’s body was above the water. Shixun’s streamlined form cut through the water at amazing speed, but at the same time, it was very steady, Yixing’s body barely rocked as Shixun moved. Yixing had sailed on water his whole life, but never like this, never so close to the water, without the wooden sides of a boat to separate him from the water. The waves lapped against him as they moved, and Yixing could feel the sea wind in his face, whipping his clothes to the back because of how fast Shixun was moving. Moonlight shone on the waves next to them, making the waves seem almost solid, and Yixing almost believed he could walk on them if he tried.

 

All too soon, they reached the little cove where Yixing usually docked his boat. Shixun transformed back to human form, and they both stood on shore, the waves lapping at their ankles as they kissed each other goodbye. Yixing watched as Shixun disappeared back underwater, waiting for some time to make sure Shixun didn’t surface again, before he made his way up the hill back to his hut. As he climbed up the first ridge, he was surprised to be able to see his hut from afar. It was well-lit this night. Usually, to conserve candles, his mother would only light one lamp at night. But tonight, the two lanterns that hung at his front gate were lit, along with what seemed like multiple candles lit inside.

 

Yixing crossed the threshold of his hut, and was surprised to see it filled with people. His mother and brothers were there, along with his uncle, the village chief, and the other elders of the village. They were all seated around the wooden dining table in the outdoor kitchen. There were barely enough chairs and stools to go round, and Yixing’s brothers were seated on the floor, while Yixing’s mother and uncle stood at the side. Also standing at the side was the Mount Shu disciple.

The instant the crowd of people in Yixing’s kitchen realised that Yixing was in their midst, they got to knees. All of them, save for Yixing’s mother and brothers, and the Mount Shu disciple, starting kow-towing to Yixing. Absolutely shocked, Yixing stood frozen to the spot. These people were his elders, whom had watched him grow up, whom he had always respected. Yixing quickly fell to his knees, kow-towing back to them, to return the respects that he could not bear.

 

“Yixing.”

 

Yixing looked up at the sound of his mother’s voice. She came to his side, helping him up to a standing position. Opposite him, the elders got to their feet too.

 

“Yixing,” his mother continued. “They said you fought with bandits and demons today. Are you alright? Are you hurt in any way?”

 

“I’m fine, Mother. It was only one demon.”

 

“Yixing, they say you can summon dragons.”

 

Summon dragons? No, not dragons. Only one dragon. And Yixing wouldn’t use the word “summon”. It was more like when Yixing asked for help, there was this one dragon that cared enough for Yixing to come to Yixing’s aid.

 

“I can’t summon dragons, Mother.”

 

“But the dragon today, it fought alongside you,” one of the village elders interjected.

 

“The bear demon was attacking the village, right in the Dragon King Temple. It is only right that the dragon would defend its own temple, and its own worshippers.”

 

Yixing was well-aware that while everything he said was the truth, he was withholding some information. He felt a pang of guilt, but at the same time, he knew this could not be helped.

 

“I am an ordinary boy.” Yixing looked pleadingly at the elders, appealing to each of them with his eyes. “You have all watched me grow up. I am the same Yixing that I always have been.”

 

The elders looked at one another.

 

“The boy is right, we’ve watched him grow up.”

 

“He is not a supernatural being, he is our little Yixing.”

 

“Perhaps he is right. The Dragon King came to protect his temple, and happened to see little Yixing being attacked by the bear demon.”

 

“Yes, that’s why it helped little Yixing fight off the bear demon.”

 

“The Dragon King is watching over us! Tomorrow we must conduct rituals, gather offerings in thanks to it.”

 

“Little Yixing, you must be there too, to lead in the rites.” The village chief turned to Yixing. “And after the rites, we’ll have a banquet in your honour.”

 

“In my honour?”

 

“Yes, even if you aren’t a supernatural being who can summon dragons, the fact still remains that you are the village hero who slew the bear demon. A feast will be held in your honour, and in Canlie _daxia_ ’s honour.”

 

Canlie _daxia_? There could only be one person whom the village chief was referring to. Yixing turned to the Mount Shu disciple, who had been standing unobtrusively in the corner all this time.

 

The Mount Shu disciple greeted Yixing by holding up his left hand over his right fist in front of his chest. Yixing blinked. He had seen members of the upper class do this kind of greeting to one another before. He had never expected to be the receiving end of such a greeting.

 

“I am Piao Canlie.”

 

Yixing bowed to him. Canlie smiled at Yixing. He had a warm smile, and kind eyes.

 

“There’s no need to so formal, _xiao xiongdi_. We are brothers who have fought alongside each other.”

 

Yixing smiled back at the Mount Shu disciple. He was friendly and humble, treating Yixing as an equal despite the disparity in their social status.

 

“I am Zhang Yixing.”

 

“Yixing _xiongdi_ , your skills with the sword are commendable. May I know who your teacher is?”

 

Yixing’s throat went dry as a silence descended upon the hut. All eyes turned on him.

 

“Canlie _daxia_ has brought up a good point, Yixing.” It was Yixing’s uncle, the younger brother of his father, who spoke. “Where did you learn sword fighting from?”

 

“Last year, I saved someone when faced difficulty at sea. In return, he taught me a few strokes of the sword.”

 

“Oh? Who is this skilled person? Let’s invite him to our feast too,” said the village chief.

 

“He… erm… would rather not be named, or show himself to others.”

 

The village elders looked like were going to ask more questions, but the Mount Shu disciple interjected.

 

“I understand,” said Canlie. “This is so with many highly skilled pugilists. There are those who choose to be recluses and would rather not be involved in the pugilistic world.”

 

Canlie’s words seemed to appease the elders. Inwardly, Yixing marvelled at this. It showed how much they respected Mount Shu, for the elders to immediately cease all questions or opinions after Canlie stated his view.

 

“Am I right to say, Yixing _xiongdi_ , that while you have learnt some sword fighting, you do not have an actual teacher?”

 

Yixing nodded at this.

 

“In this case, Yixing _xiongdi_ , may I extend an invitation to you to return with me to Mount Shu?”

 

Yixing stared at the Mount Shu disciple, unsure of what he meant.

 

“Yixing _xiongdi_ is gifted with good physique. And you seem to have good innate inner strength. I have never seen this before in a person with no formal martial arts training. A man of your talents should be trained in martial arts, so that you can contribute to society, to help in the fight against demons. It so happens that at this time, Mount Shu is conducting entrance examinations to recruit new trainees. Yixing _xiongdi_ , how about you follow me back to Mount Shu, so that you can take part in them?”

 

Yixing stared at the Mount Shu disciple in disbelief. Never in his life, had Yixing ever considered the possibility of this. How could someone as ordinary as Yixing get into Mount Shu?

 

Yixing looked at his mother. She too looked stunned. Yixing turned to his uncle.

 

“You should go, Yixing.” His uncle’s voice was steady, comforting. “Don’t worry about your mother and brothers. I will take care of them while you are gone. Go, and try your best.”

 

“Wow, imagine a Mount Shu disciple from our very own village!”

 

“Little Yixing, our ancestors would be so proud!”

 

“If only your late father could see this!”

 

Amid the opinions of the village elders, Canlie merely waited patiently for Yixing’s answer. Yixing considered it carefully. Now that the idea was planted in Yixing’s heart, he could not deny that this was something he wanted. Yixing, along with everyone he knew, admired Mount Shu from the bottom of his heart. The possibility of being a part of Mount Shu was too good to pass up.

 

There was one problem though.

 

Shixun.

 

The dragon could barely bear to be separated from Yixing at night. How would he react to Yixing leaving for Mount Shu?

 

“Thank you for the offer, Canlie _daxia_. It means a lot to me. But, I would have to think on it.”

 

There was a flurry of exclamations and protests from the village elders, but Canlie nodded in understanding.

 

“I stay in the inn in the town across the hill. I leave for Mount Shu at first light tomorrow. I hope to see you there.”

 

“I understand. I will give you my reply by then.”

 

“Ah, Canlie _daxia_ , you’re leaving tomorrow already?” asked the village chief. “But we were going to have a feast in your honour, and in little Yixing’s.”

 

Canlie bowed respectfully to the village chief.

 

“I really must be on my way. I am expected back in Mount Shu, and had already delayed by journey by one day to help out in the today’s bandit attack. Also, I’m afraid it would be against Mount Shu’s code of conduct if I attended your feast. Mount Shu has strict regulations that its disciples aid all those in the need of help without receiving any repayment.”

 

The village chief and village elders all expressed regret at this, thanking Canlie profusely for helping in the attack that day. Canlie accepted their thanks graciously.

 

“It has been a long day for Yixing _xiongdi_ ,” said Canlie. “Perhaps we should leave, so that he and his family can have some rest?”

 

With that, the village elders and Yixing’s uncle took their leave, but not before persuading Yixing to take up Canlie’s offer. Yixing bowed to each of them as they left. Soon, it was only the Mount Shu disciple left.

 

“It’s late. You mentioned that you have a room at the inn in the town, but it’s a long journey over the hill. Would you like to stay for the night?” asked Yixing. His home was not much, but Yixing could offer his bed to Mount Shu disciple. His brothers could sleep with their mother in her bed for one night, and Yixing could sleep on the floor.

 

Canlie drew out the sword that he had strapped his back. To the amazement of Yixing and his family, he threw out the sword in front of him. The sword enlarged and hovered in the air at shin-length above the ground in front of the Mount Shu disciple.

 

“This is called the art of sword-flying,” said Canlie, stepping lightly onto the hovering sword. “You’ll learn this, should you become a Mount Shu disciple. I hope you do, Yixing _xiongdi_.”

 

He bowed to Yixing’s mother and waved to Yixing’s brothers.

 

“Until tomorrow.”

 

With that, the Mount Shu disciple ascended in the air while standing on his sword. Yixing and his family watched as the Mount Shu disciple disappeared into the darkness of the night, Yixing’s brothers whooping and jumping up and down in awe.

 

After all the hustle and bustle, it was nice to have their home all to themselves again. Yixing’s mother started fussing over Yixing, asking if he had eaten. She heated up the leftover rice and dishes from dinner for Yixing. As Yixing ate, their mother insistently put Yihan and Yiyun to bed, saying it was way past their bedtime. They went, but reluctantly, too excited from the day’s events. After the twins were tucked away in bed, Yixing’s mother came to sit beside Yixing at the table.

 

“Mother, do you think I should go to Mount Shu?”

 

“It’s your choice, son. I would miss you if you left home, but I cannot deny it’s a good opportunity, and a man should look out for his prospects.”

 

Yixing nodded. “I will let you know my decision tomorrow morning.”

 

Yixing’s mother started clearing the empty dishes. “You’ve had a long day. Have a good night’s sleep. You’ll have a clearer head to make a decision in the morning.”

 

Yixing washed up and changed his clothes. He climbed into bed next to his sleeping brothers. Lying awake in bed, he listened out for sounds of his mother moving around the house. When she had extinguished the lantern, and gone to bed too, Yixing silently got up. He put on his shoes, and quietly walked out of the house, down the winding path through the hill, and down to his little cove. His boat was there, and Yixing got into it, his hands and feet moving on autopilot, and soon, his little boat was sailing out of the cove.

 

Yixing wasn’t sure if Shixun would appear. By right, Shixun wouldn’t be expecting him until dawn, and that was hours away. But the moment Yixing’s boat reached open sea, Yixing found his boat stopped from sailing along the current by a great sea dragon which had coiled itself around Yixing’s boat. Yixing found himself with an armful of Shixun, while being kissed thoroughly.

 

“I knew it!” Shixun said happily. Yixing had lighted a lamp, and Yixing watched as the flickering light intermittently cast both light and shadows across Shixun’s beautiful face. “I knew Yixing ge-ge misses Shixun just as much as Shixun misses Yixing ge-ge. I’m so glad I decided not to return to the Dragon Palace for tonight. It didn’t make sense, since it was so late, to travel to and fro, so I decided to snooze at the seabed near Yixing ge-ge’s cove. I was just falling asleep thinking of Yixing ge-ge, when the sea creatures came and told me that Yixing ge-ge’s fishing boat was coming out to sea! I knew it, that I couldn’t be the only one who can’t wait for daybreak to be together.”

 

Shixun looked so happy, Yixing could not help but feel extremely guilty. Looking at Yixing, Shixun immediately sensed that something was wrong.

 

“Is anything the matter, Yixing ge-ge?”

 

Yixing told Shixun about Canlie’s offer to go to Mount Shu to take part in the entrance examinations. Predictably, Shixun’s face fell, and he looked like he was on the verge of tears.

 

“You mean… Yixing ge-ge wants to leave me to go to Mount Shu?”

 

Shixun looked absolutely pitiful. Unable to bear the sight of it, Yixing gathered Shixun into his arms. Yixing did not miss the way Shixun buried himself in Yixing’s arms, his fingers clutching onto Yixing’s robes.

 

“I won’t go if you don’t want me to.”

 

“But in Yixing ge-ge’s heart, Yixing ge-ge wants to go?”

 

Yixing didn’t say yes or no, neither did he nod his head or give any other affirmative gesture, but Yixing could tell that Shixun knew his answer anyway.

 

“But why? What’s so good about Mount Shu?”

 

“I’ve always admired Mount Shu, ever since I was a kid. To be part of Mount Shu, to be able to learn Mount Shu skills, it would be like a dream come true.”

 

“If it’s martial arts that Yixing ge-ge wants to learn, Yixing ge-ge can learn them from me! I’m sure no matter how good Mount Shu is, they can’t be better than me.”

 

But in a way, that was exactly the problem. Yixing was well aware he was dependent on Shixun for everything, and that feeling left a bitter taste in his mouth. Yixing knew he was not worthy of someone like Shixun. He had no education, no status, no wealth. But if Yixing were a Mount Shu disciple, he would feel a little bit more like he was not so far apart from Shixun.

 

“If I had a choice, I would rather not be a fisherman forever.”

 

“But why? I always thought Yixing ge-ge liked fishing.” Shixun had his head buried in the crook of Yixing’s neck, but at this revelation, he sat up to look at Yixing. “Fishing has always been so important to Yixing ge-ge, it never occurred to me that Yixing ge-ge would want to do anything else.”

 

Shixun sat on his haunches, seemingly deep in thought. Yixing too, was lost in his own thoughts. So to Shixun, he really saw nothing wrong with Yixing being a fisherman? Had Shixun really never considered how disparate they were?

 

“If this is what Yixing ge-ge wants, Yixing ge-ge should go.”

 

Yixing looked at Shixun, surprised. He had not expected Shixun to give in so easily.

 

“Once, when I was very young, only about 300 years old, the Dragon Gate opened.”

 

Dragon Gate? Yixing had never heard of this.

 

“The Dragon Gate opens in the heavens only once every thousand years. If fish jump over it, they can become dragons. If dragons jump over it, their cultivation in The Way doubles. But travelling to the Dragon Gate is not easy. Only those who have cultivated The Way for at least a thousand years would be able to persevere the hardships of the travel to reach it.”

 

Shixun looked so sad that Yixing at once realised that Shixun must be retelling a piece of his past that was very painful for him. Yixing held Shixun’s hand in his own, and squeezed it reassuringly.

 

“My two older brothers wanted to make the journey to the Dragon Gate, and my father said he would go with them, to act as their guide. Shixun wanted to go along too, but my father said I was too young, my cultivation in The Way was too little, and I would not be able to withstand the journey, so he said I was to stay behind in the Dragon Palace and wait for their return.”

 

Shixun bit his lower lip as he continued his story.

 

“I was so upset that I was going to be left behind. I felt like my father and brothers were abandoning me. Shixun threw a big tantrum. I think I broke everything in my room. Eventually, Shixun’s second brother gave in. He stayed behind with me, and only my oldest brother and father went on the journey. At first, Shixun was very happy to have my second brother with me. But when my father and oldest brother came home, they told us that my oldest brother had jumped over the Dragon Gate successfully. And that was when I could see how sad my second brother was that he had missed the chance. He never mentioned it to me, but I could it in his eyes.”

 

Tears had welled up in Shixun’s eyes, and Yixing gently dabbed at the corner of Shixun’s eyes with his fingers.

 

“What I did to my second brother was wrong. It was selfish of me.” Shixun took a breath, and continued with an air of determination. “Shixun won’t do the same thing to Yixing ge-ge. Shixun will let Yixing ge-ge to Mount Shu.”

 

Yixing lay down on his back, pulling Shixun down with him. Together they lay on the floor of Yixing’s boat, looking up at the night sky.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, can you not return to shore tonight? Can we stay on your boat, the two of us, until morning?”

 

In reply, Yixing kissed Shixun on the forehead. They lay entangled together, neither of them speaking.

 

Yixing listened to the sound of Shixun breathing, felt the rise and fall of his chest, his hair tickling his skin, the warmth of his body.

 

Yixing listened to the sound of the sea, soaked in the view of the stars. When would he get to be here again, see this again, hold Shixun like this again?

 

Yixing watched the position of the moon in the sky. Soon, dawn would break, and bringing with it, change like Yixing had never known before.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I borrowed Mount Shu from Chinese Paladin 3.
> 
> Piao Canlie is Park Chanyeol's name in Chinese.
> 
> In Chinese mythology, Chinese water dragons can control rain and lightning. 
> 
> jianfa = sword-fighting style/method  
> xiao = little  
> xiongdi = brother  
> daxia = hero


	4. Chapter 4

When Yixing woke up, he was alone. A blanket that hadn’t existed in Yixing’s boat before was covering him, but the person who must have conjured the blanket out of thin air and covered Yixing with it was nowhere to be seen. Yixing was all alone in his little fishing boat, nothing but vast sea and empty sky all around him.

 

The moon, white and round, was starting to set. This meant that dawn would break soon. Yixing got up stiffly, his back aching from sleeping on the hard wooden floor of his boat all night, the muscles in his body not warmed up yet. Standing at the side of his boat, he called out into the sea, “Shixun.”

 

Yixing’s voice rang out into the distance, but there was no response.

 

Yixing waited. Still no response.

 

Yixing went to the other side of the boat. Standing on that side, he called out Shixun’s name again. No response either.

 

A cold and silent despair welled up in Yixing. It was a terrible feeling, making Yixing’s stomach turn. He knew that Shixun was not to blame. If at all, it was Yixing’s own fault. Yixing was the one who wanted to leave. But despite knowing this, it still hurt, that there would be no proper farewell between them. It hurt, because he knew that somewhere out there, Shixun was alone and hurting too, and Yixing was the cause of it.

 

“Wait for me,” Yixing said softly, standing at the side of his boat, his hands clutching on the wooden sides of his boat, the sea breeze caressing his face. “I will come back.”

 

With a heavy heart, Yixing sailed his little fishing boat back to shore. He docked it in his usual cove, taking extra care to pack away everything neatly, since he didn’t know when he would be using the fishing boat again. If all went well, Yixing would be away for a long time. But if he failed the Mount Shu entrance examinations, he would be back soon. Yixing wondered how Shixun would respond if that was the case.

 

When Yixing returned to his hut, he saw that his mother was already awake. From the looks of it, she probably hadn’t slept much.

 

“Yixing, where did you go?”

 

“I went out to sea, Mother.”

 

His mother nodded, not questioning further. Yixing had always liked this about his mother, the way she gave him space, trusted in him enough to not keep tabs on his every move.

 

“Mother, I’ve decided. I would like to go to Mount Shu. I’m not sure if I can get in, but I would like to try.”

 

His mother nodded.

  
“I thought that you would make this decision, son. I’ve packed a bag for you.”

 

There was a cloth bundle lying on the table. Opening it, Yixing that his clothes had already been folded neatly inside it. Yixing didn’t own many clothes, just two more sets besides the ones that he was currently wearing. His mother passed him a money pouch. When Yixing opened it, he saw that it was filled with almost all of their savings.

 

“Mother, this is too much,” Yixing protested. “What are you, Yihan and Yiyun going to live on?”

 

“Keep it,” his mother said firmly, scooping out freshly cooked porridge into a bowl as she talked. “You would need money for travelling expenses on your way to Mount Shu. Your uncle said that he would take care of us, so don’t worry. I’ll find a job too, perhaps washing clothes for our neighbours. We will be fine.”

 

She set the bowl of porridge before Yixing.

 

“Eat,” she said simply, and so Yixing did. It was a simple bowl of plain porridge, but even so, Yixing could feel the love his mother had for him as he ate it.

 

“I fried some spring onion pancakes just now. I’ll pack some for you to bring on the road.”

 

Spring onion pancakes had always been Yixing’s favourite snack, ever since he was a kid.

 

After breakfast, Yixing woke up his sleeping brothers to say goodbye to them. They looked very cute, hair ruffled, clothes rumpled, sitting up in bed blearily with their eyes half-closed. Yixing gave them a kiss on the forehead each, and told them to be good while he was gone.

 

His mother was waiting for him at the gate. They hugged each other goodbye. His mother’s face was wet with tears. Yixing wanted to comfort his mother, but no words would come out. He silently took the cloth bundle his mother handed him, slung it over one shoulder, steeled himself, and left, stopping at the bend to wave goodbye to his mother.

 

Putting one foot in front of the other, Yixing made his way through the woods to the village. The hour was early, but when Yixing appeared at the threshold of his uncle’s house, his uncle was already up and awake. His uncle lived in the village itself, in a little hut near to his farm. Yixing’s uncle used to be a fisherman, like Yixing’s father and grandfather, but he married the daughter of a rice farmer. His father-in-law was in ill health due to his old age, so out of filial piety, Yixing’s uncle gave up fishing to help his father-in-law in the rice field. Though they were the ones to farm the land every day, they didn’t actually own the rice field. The land belonged to the rich landlord who lived in the town over the hill, the town in which Yixing was due to meet Canlie later. Like Yixing’s mother, he looked like he hadn’t slept much, like he had been waiting for Yixing to come. His uncle looked pleased that Yixing had decided to go to Mount Shu after all. He wanted to give Yixing some money for his journey as well, but Yixing declined, requesting that his uncle give the money to his mother instead. Mindful that Yixing had to catch Canlie before he left, Yixing’s uncle bid Yixing to go on his way, assuring Yixing that he would help Yixing take his leave of the village chief, since it was too early to be visiting the village chief’s house.

 

As Yixing walked over the hill to the town, the sun started to rise. The sky lightened, brightening in hues of pinks and blues. The morning air was crisp and cool. The earliness of the hour meant that there was no one else of the road with Yixing, and it was the sounds of birdsong that accompanied Yixing’s walk.

 

When Yixing entered the town, he spotted Canlie at the entrance of the inn. He was waiting on the street, on the look-out for Yixing. When he spotted Yixing, he did the customary greeting, left hand resting on right clenched fist. For a split second, Yixing hesitated, not sure what to do. Should he reply back with same greeting? But Yixing did not feel worthy of it. Unlike Canlie, Yixing was no learned member of the upper class. Should he bow to Canlie? But yesterday, Canlie told him not to be too formal. Feeling awkward, Yixing settled for merely verbally greeting Canlie a good morning. He flushed, wondering how Canlie would react, wondering if he had committed a social blunder, but Canlie merely smiled at him warmly.

 

“Yixing _xiongdi_ ,” Canlie said. “Glad that you could make it.”

 

Yixing nodded awkwardly, not really sure what to say. Canlie was treating him like an equal, but Yixing was starkly aware of Canlie’s beautiful white flowing robes and immaculate appearance, while he himself was dressed in rags.

 

“Is it alright that we have a new travel companion?” Canlie asked. “I hope you don’t mind, Yixing _xiongdi_. He’s someone that I met just this morning, when we were both having breakfast at the inn. He says he would like to visit Mount Shu, so I invited him to travel with us. I just thought that it would be better for the three of us to be on the road together. The roads have become more dangerous these days, and one more companion on the road means added security.”

 

Yixing did not think a Mount Shu disciple would feel threatened by dangers on the road, and would value an additional travel companion for safety purposes. Yixing watched as the tips of Canlie’s ears turned slightly red, and the faintest hint of pink dusted his cheeks. He did not quite meet Yixing in the eye, but the look in his eyes was tender and shy at the same time. Yixing had his own experience with Shixun to recognise the look on Canlie’s face. Yixing smiled inwardly. Whoever their new travel companion was, he must be pretty special, for Canlie to be so smitten.

 

“Yes, of course he’s welcomed to travel with us.”

 

Yixing’s answer had Canlie beaming. He had a nice smile, which showed off his cheekbones and his straight white teeth.

 

“There, here he comes now.”

 

Canlie gestured towards a man who was descending the steps from the main door of the inn. Yixing’s mouth fell open when he saw who it was.

 

“Shixun _gongzi_ ,” Canlie called him over. Yixing watched as the two gentlemen stood face to face in the centre of the crowded street, Canlie in his white flowing robes, Shixun in a robe of elaborately embroidered light blue silk.

 

“Canlie _gongzi_ ,” Shixun replied in greeting. His bearing, his clothes, the polite tone of voice, every part of him exuded an effortless upper-class grace.

 

“This is Zhang Yixing, my travel companion whom I was telling you about. I’ve told him about you travelling with us, and he welcomes you to come along with us.”

 

“Really?” Shixun’s gentlemanly composure promptly dropped, replaced by the perky demeanour that Yixing was so familiar with. “Thank you for agreeing that I could come along, Yixing ge-ge! Yixing ge-ge is the best!”

 

Before Yixing could prevent it, Shixun had flung his arms around Yixing’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Stunned, Yixing stood frozen even as Shixun had firmly pressed his lips on his and was now pulling back, smiling happily at Yixing.

 

Yixing blinked. In his peripheral vision, he could see the towns folk gawking at them, casting them judgemental looks. Two men, kissing in broad daylight, with no sense of propriety at all. In particular, Canlie looked absolutely shocked. The usually composed and self-assured Mount Shu disciple stared at them, looking uncharacteristically out of depth.

 

Yixing gently removed Shixun’s arms from around his neck, and took a step back, putting a little distance between them, as was appropriate.

 

“Shixun, what are you doing here?”

 

Shixun looked guilty, but immediately tried to mask this with perky nonchalance.

 

“Erm… Shixun happened to be having breakfast at the inn. There were no other available tables, so I shared a table with Canlie _gongzi_. Canlie _gongzi_ was talking about going to Mount Shu. I said that I’ve never been to Mount Shu before, and would like to take a look. Canlie _gongzi_ invited me to join him on the road. He’s the one who invited me! All I did was agree with him.”

 

Yixing had no doubt Shixun’s ‘chance encounter’ with Canlie had been carefully orchestrated by Shixun. Shixun was looking pleadingly at Yixing, begging without saying the words. Normally, such a look would immediately render Yixing helpless, and send him scrambling to fulfil whatever want that Shixun had. But this time, Yixing steeled himself and forced himself to be immune.

 

“Shixun,” Yixing continued gently but firmly. “You know you shouldn’t be here. Your father has forbidden it. You’re not to leave your home to travel into the world until you’re three years older, remember?”

 

“It’s alright, Yixing ge-ge. My father and brothers aren’t at home. They won’t be back for a long time. I’ll make sure to be back before they return. They won’t even know I haven’t been home! I’ve given all the servants strict orders not to tell on me.”

 

“The two of you… know each other?” Canlie cut in.

 

“Yixing ge-ge is my saviour,” Shixun informed him, with the air of someone who was bursting with pride because of Yixing and couldn’t wait to share this with anyone who would listen. “I was injured, and all alone out at sea, and I ran into Yixing ge-ge who was fishing, and he saved me!”

 

Shixun beamed at Yixing at the memory, moving to link his hands around Yixing’s elbow. Yixing looked at the interwined fingers resting on the crook of his elbow, painfully aware of how Shixun’s rich silks contrasted starkly with the coarse rags he was wearing.

 

“Oh.” Yixing could see the disappointment clearly written on Canlie’s face, any romantic hopes he had been harbouring towards Shixun crushed, nipped in the bud before anything could even begin.

 

Yixing gently removed his arm from Shixun’s grasp.

 

“Shixun, you need to go home now.” Yixing’s voice was gentle but firm.

 

Shixun’s eyes started to fill with tears. Yixing’s heart clenched painfully at the sight.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, please don’t send Shixun away.”

 

Tears were flowing freely down Shixun’s face now. He moved forwards, stepping to close the distance between him and Yixing, his fists clenched into the front of Yixing’s robes. Despite his better judgement, Yixing found himself unable to resist Shixun, and he put his arms around the boy, drawing him into an embrace. Shixun wept in Yixing’s arms, each soft delicate sniffle cutting right into Yixing’s heart.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, Shixun can’t live without you. If you leave without Shixun, Shixun won’t be around when you come back. Shixun would have died from loneliness and heartbreak.”

 

Shixun sounded absolutely piteous. A part of Yixing wanted to chuckle and ruffle Shixun’s hair, and tell him he was just being melodramatic, but a look at Shixun’s face told Yixing that Shixun was being deadly serious. He honestly thought that he was going to die if Yixing left him behind. The amount of pain that was etched on Shixun’s face was unbearable, and Yixing couldn’t take it anymore.

 

“All right. You can come.”

 

The words left Yixing’s mouth before he could stop them. As soon as he uttered the words, Yixing knew it was an extremely bad idea, and wanted to take them back. But it was already too late. Shixun was already breaking into a bright smile that shone through his tears.

 

“Thank you, Yixing ge-ge! I knew you wouldn’t leave me behind. Yixing ge-ge treats Shixun the best.”

 

Shixun happily planted another kiss full on Yixing’s mouth. Yixing could feel his cheeks heating up. Around them, Yixing could hear ‘tsks’ and other mutterings of disapproval.

 

Yixing gently stepped away from Shixun.

 

“Shixun-ah, as we travel through the country towards Mount Shu, it’s not like on my fishing boat, or on our island, when it was just us. There are people all around us, and we must behave in a certain way to fit into society.” Yixing was no gentleman, had no proper training in etiquette, but he knew that much at least. “We can’t kiss or touch in public, all right?”

 

Shixun looked around him, seeming to take in the people on the crowded street around them for the first time.

 

“You mean we can’t touch or kiss because all these humans around us? Why should we care about them? Yixing ge-ge is the only human that matters!” Shixun declared. “And anyway, now that I see so many humans around, I think it’s best that I make it known that Yixing ge-ge belongs to me. Yixing ge-ge is so good-looking, if I’m not careful, someone might try to take Yixing ge-ge away from me!”

 

To prove his point, Shixun possessively clung onto Yixing’s elbow again. Honestly, Yixing thought Shixun’s fears were unfounded. Yixing was beyond blessed to have Shixun in his life. Why would he even look at anyone else? Anyway, it was way more likely that someone would fall for Shixun, and try to take him away from Yixing, rather than the other way round. Canlie was living proof of this. One breakfast with Shixun, and Canlie was already hooked.

 

“Shixun, if you’re going to be like this, perhaps you should go back home after all.”

 

“What? No, no, no, no.” Alarmed, Shixun obediently let go of Yixing’s elbow. “Shixun will be good! Don’t send Shixun away.”

 

Yixing turned to Canlie, who had been standing awkwardly at the side all this time.

 

“I’m sorry for holding you up,” Yixing said to Canlie.

 

“Oh no, no trouble at all,” Canlie replied awkwardly. “The hour is getting late. I suppose we should get going. Yixing _xiongdi,_ Shixun _gongzi_ , this way please.”

 

Canlie led the way. Yixing followed him, Shixun at his side. Shixun walked awfully close to Yixing. Yixing made no comment on this, knowing that the dragon was already restraining himself by not holding on to Yixing. As Canlie led the way to the town’s exit, they passed by the main street of the town centre. Yixing had been here a few times with his father. Stalls lined both sides of the street, their wares put on full display. Stall keepers hawked their goods at the top of their voices, shoppers mingled around the various stalls, touching and viewing the goods, and bargaining for better prices. The entire street was bustling, a cacophony of colours and sounds. Shixun’s face lit up as he took in the sights around him.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, what is this place? It’s so interesting!”

 

“This is the town market, where people buy and sell things.”

 

“Is it like the evening market that you are always talking about?”

 

“Oh no, the evening market in my village is much smaller. And it’s only open in the evenings. This is open from dawn to dusk.”

 

“Wow!”

 

Shixun sounded impressed. Yixing chanced a glance at Canlie. Though he made no comment, Yixing could tell he was taken aback at Shixun’s extreme lack of knowledge of the world. Yixing hoped that Canlie would just assumed that Shixun was a very sheltered _gongzi_ that hardly stepped out of his mansion because of his strict father.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, let’s look at that stall!”

 

In his excitement, Shixun almost grabbed Yixing’s hand. But at the last minute, he restrained himself and grabbed Yixing’s sleeve instead. Pulling Yixing by the sleeve, Shixun led Yixing to the stall that had caught his eye, Canlie following at their heels. It was a stall selling face masks. The owner took one look at Shixun’s expensive robes, and immediately started grovelling, bowing profusely to Shixun, and then Canlie, when he appeared by their side, imploring them to look his wares. He ignored Yixing completely.

 

Shixun was excitedly examining the face masks. They were all elaborately designed, painted in bright colours and exquisitely decorated. Shixun tried on many of them, the stall owner holding up a bronze mirror for Shixun to look at his reflection. Shixun excitedly inspected his reflection for each mask he put on. Without fail, he would turn to Yixing and ask his opinion on how he looked. Yixing could only smile and tell Shixun his honest opinion, which was that Shixun looked good in all of them. To Yixing, all the face masks looked the same. He couldn’t really tell which one looked better, but no matter what, he thought Shixun looked good in whatever he wore.

 

“I think I like this one the best,” said Shixun, holding up a deep purple half-mask that only covered the eyes. It was intricately decorated with patterns of gold wire, inlaid with brightly coloured gemstones. “Can Yixing ge-ge buy this for me?”

 

The stall owner looked surprised that a richly-dressed gentleman like Shixun was asking Yixing, someone dressed in rags, to buy something for him. Yixing had no doubt that the stall owner had mistaken him for Shixun’s servant until this point. Yixing took out his money pouch. Opening the drawstrings, he asked, “How much is it?”

 

“This young _gongzi_ has fine taste indeed! This mask is the most expensive mask that my humble stall has to offer. It’s imported from the capital, made of the finest materials, painstakingly made by the most skilled craftsman. It costs one silver ingot, a bargain for a mask of this quality!”

 

Yixing paled. He only had copper coins in his money pouch, and no silver at all. Yixing supposed if he emptied the entire contents of his purse, the copper coins would add up to the worth of two silver ingots, but that would mean that he would use up half his money on the first day of his trip, and he still had to pay for food and accommodation for himself and Shixun all the way from here to Mount Shu. If he didn’t pass the entrance examinations, there was the return journey to worry about as well.

 

“Shixun,” Yixing confessed reluctantly. “I’m sorry, but I can’t afford it.”

 

Shixun cocked his head to side, looking puzzled. Yixing knew that he had no concept of money.

 

“It’s all right, Yixing _xiongdi_ , Shixun _gongzi_ ,” Canlie spoke up. “Please allow me to get the face mask.”

 

Canlie had already produced a silver ingot, and was holding it outstretched to the stall owner. Yixing felt a swell of embarrassment. Why was he so useless, that he had to depend on another man to provide Shixun with his wants? The stall owner was reaching out greedily for the silver ingot, but Shixun intercepted him, his agile fingers reaching the silver ingot before the stall owner did. Shixun held up the silver ingot before him, curiously inspecting it from all angles.

 

“So, this is money? Yixing ge-ge works hard every day to catch fish, so that he can exchange the fish for this? But this is just silver, moulded in a certain shape.”

 

Shixun handed back the silver ingot to Canlie.

 

“Thank you, Canlie _gongzi_ ,” Shixun said politely, his demeanour reverting from pouty whiny dragon to polished gentleman in an instant. “I appreciate the goodwill, but Yixing ge-ge will buy the face mask for me.”

 

Shixun closed his eyes in concentration. Then he slipped his hand inside his sleeve. When he withdrew his hand from the folds of his robes, a small pile of shiny silver ingots sat in the palm of his hand. Yixing, Canlie and the stall owner’s mouth all dropped in unison. The stall owner seemed to be on the verge of a heart attack at the casual display of so much wealth. Shixun nonchalantly emptied the silver ingots into Yixing’s open money pouch.

 

“I wish I understood about money earlier,” said Shixun. “Yixing ge-ge often worries about money. If only I understood sooner, then Yixing ge-ge wouldn’t have had to worry all this time.”

 

Turning back to the stall, Shixun busied himself inspecting the other masks on display.

 

“Let’s get a mask for Yixing ge-ge too!” He turned to the stall owner. “Do you have another mask that matches this one? Maybe in the same design, but a different colour?”

 

Yixing stared at the silver ingots inside his money pouch. He had never seen so many silver ingots at one time in his life before, much less have them in his possession. He knew Shixun must have created them out of thin air with his _fashu_.

 

“Shixun,” Yixing said slowly, interrupting Shixun’s selection of a face mask for Yixing. “You can’t just give me money like that.”

 

“Why not?” Shixun looked genuinely perplexed.

 

“Because… … it wouldn’t be right.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because… … money is something you should earn, in exchange for your own hard work. It’s not right to receive money when you’ve done nothing to get it.”

 

“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

 

Shixun closed in eyes in concentration. When he opened his eyes again, the weight of Yixing’s money bag suddenly lightened considerably, and Yixing knew that Shixun had vanished the silver ingots. Yixing quickly closed the drawstrings of his purse, before the stall owner and Canlie could notice their disappearance.

 

“I’m sorry, Yixing ge-ge.” Shixun apologised, looking contrite. He put down the face mask he had been holding. “Don’t be angry at Shixun, all right?”

 

“I’m not angry.”

 

“Really?” Shixun still looked worried. “But Yixing ge-ge looked so stern and serious just now. I’ve never seen Yixing ge-ge look like that.”

 

“I’m just sorry, Shixun, that I can’t afford to buy the mask for you.”

 

“Oh, that’s all right, Yixing ge-ge! Shixun doesn’t have to buy anything. Shixun can just see, and not buy!”

 

Shixun was already moving towards the next stall, pulling Yixing along by the sleeve. The next stall sold hand puppets. Shixun marvelled at them, amazed at how they could be moved by pulling the sticks that connected to the elbow, knee and neck joints of the puppets. True to his word, Shixun did not request to buy any. They moved on to another roadside stall, which was more of a game stall rather than one selling goods. There was a big wooden tub filled with water, and inside the tub swam many brightly-coloured rainbow guppies. Small children were kneeling at the side of the tub, trying to catch the guppies with their little handheld nets. Shixun pulled Yixing down with him, so that they were both kneeling at the edge of the tub.

 

“If Yixing ge-ge and I were to play this, we’ll catch all the fish in no time!”

 

Next to Shixun, a small boy, who looked to be five years of age, was struggling with his net. He had been trying for a long time, but was unable to catch any fish at all. Shixun dipped a hand into the tub. Skillfully, he chased a guppy right into the boy’s net. The boy let out a squeal of delight. He lifted the net out of the water, and the boy’s mother helped him to empty the guppy into a small bamboo container of water. The boy cooed at his newly caught fish as it swam circles around the perimeter of the bamboo container.

 

“Aren’t you going to say thank you to ge-ge for helping you?” asked the boy’s mother.

 

“Thank you ge-ge!” the boy said happily, and Shixun beamed at him.

 

The next stall Shixun pulled Yixing to wasn’t a real stall at all, just a little girl sitting by the side of the road. She had an array of paper folded animals arranged in front of her, and was busy folding another. Her fingers were nimble and quick as she folded a bright orange piece of paper this way and that.

 

“What are you folding?” Shixun asked her curiously.

 

“A goldfish.”

 

The little girl folded the last few finishing touches. She held up her completed handiwork for Yixing, Shixun and Canlie to see. It had a squarish body and a long bushy tail. Shixun ooh-ed and ahh-ed at it, impressed. Yixing’s heart went out to the little girl. Yixing knew what it was like to have to come out to work to support one’s family, but at least Yixing was sixteen when his father had died. This girl looked like she was Yihan’s and Yiyun’s age.

 

“How much for one?” asked Yixing.

 

“One copper coin, sir.”

 

“Would you like one?” Yixing asked Shixun. “You can choose one, if you like.”

 

“You don’t have to buy me anything, Yixing ge-ge!” Shixun waved both hands vigorously in front of him. “I promised that I wouldn’t get anything.”

 

“It’s all right, Shixun. If it’s one copper coin, I can afford it. It’s your first visit to a market. I should get you something.”

 

“Oh, all right then! Thank you, Yixing ge-ge! Hmmm… let me see… there’re so many to choose from. They’re all so pretty!”

 

After mulling over the selection of paper animals for a long time, and having a long conversation with the girl about which one he should choose, Shixun eventually chose a pale green coloured crane. Yixing handed over the coin to the little girl, wishing her good business for the day ahead. Shixun cradled the crane carefully in the palm of his hand, holding it carefully like how one would handle a priceless treasure.

 

“Would you like to buy anything, Canlie _daxia_?” Yixing asked, well aware that since Shixun had joined them, Shixun had been dominating the conversation, and Shixun spoke almost exclusively to Yixing, leaving Canlie out.

 

“I’m all right,” Canlie said, smiling at Yixing. “I don’t need to get anything. Actually, I would really hate to spoil Shixun _gongzi_ ’s mood, but if we were to make it to the next town before nightfall, we really should get going.”

 

“Of course. Please pardon me,” Shixun said formally. “It’s my first visit to a market, and I’m afraid I got carried away.”

 

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Canlie replied just as politely. Feeling uncouth, Yixing wondered what it was like to have received formal education, to have received a privileged upbringing, to be able to speak like this and feel natural about it.

 

Canlie led the way to the end of the street, and out of the market. Though Shixun continued to look this way and that, gawking at all the stalls, he made no move to stop and look at any of them. Soon, they had made their way out of the town, and were on the dirt road leading towards the next inland town. There were other travellers on the road as well, some on foot like them, carrying their belongings wrapped in a cloth bundle slung over their shoulders, some on horseback, and some riding on ox-driven carts. They even encountered a court official, carried inside an embroidered palanquin, with a convoy of guards walking in front and behind, a mounted guard leading the whole entourage. It was Yixing’s first time seeing a palanquin. He wondered what would bring an official to the countryside. Like the other commoners on the road, Yixing, Shixun and Canlie respectfully moved to the side of the road, keeping their heads bowed as the palanquin passed them by.

 

“It must be very uncomfortable riding inside the palanquin,” Shixun observed as the palanquin went on its way. “Dark and stuffy, and it keeps swaying to and fro. I wonder if the person sitting inside gets dizzy?”

 

As they left the town behind them, the road got less crowded. They began a steep ascent up a hill. The air was cool and fresh, and the countryside around them was awash in greenery. When the wind blew, the long grass at covered the slopes on both sides of the path rustled and bent with the wind.

 

“It’s beautiful.”

 

Shixun’s face was glowing in the bright summer sunlight. Yixing smiled, knowing that it was the sea dragon’s first time seeing mountain scenery.

 

“My father’s such an old meanie. He should have let Shixun come out to see this sooner.”

 

“Your father has your best interest at heart, Shixun.”

 

Shixun made a face, but didn’t otherwise argue with Yixing.

 

“Shixun gongzi, if you don’t mind me asking, what does your family do?” asked Canlie.

 

“Shixun’s father is a wealthy landowner in our area.” Yixing felt a bit bad about lying to Canlie, but he supposed what he said wasn’t entirely untrue, since Shixun’s father owned the entire Eastern Sea, which was a very large area indeed.

 

“For what it’s worth, in my opinion, I think it’s good that you’ve come out to see the world, Shixun _gongzi_. A young man should go out and explore. Even if you make mistakes, it’s all right, because you learn and grow from your experiences.”

 

Shixun beamed a brilliant smile at Canlie, and Yixing could clearly see the smitten look on Canlie’s face, though Canlie was trying his best to not to show it.

 

“Ah, a kindred spirit who sees things my way! See, Yixing ge-ge, Canlie _gongzi_ agrees with me too, so I must be right! Don’t you think so, Yixing ge-ge?”

 

Inwardly, Yixing still thought that Shixun sneaking out into the human world without his father’s permission was wrong, but in the face of Shixun’s happiness and enthusiasm, Yixing could not bear to voice this. Instead, he smiled fondly at Shixun.

 

“When you go home, you can apologise sincerely to your father, and also tell him all the experiences you had, and all the new things you had learnt from your journey. I’m sure your father would understand,” said Canlie.

 

Shixun made another face at this, conveying without the words that he thought his father was an old stick-in-the-mud who would never understand.

 

Throughout their walk, Shixun held the paper crane Yixing had bought for him carefully in the palm of his hand. When Yixing observed that Shixun’s arm must be tired from holding up the crane all the time, and suggested Shixun keep the crane in the cloth bundle Yixing was carrying over his shoulder, Shixun shook his head.

 

“What if the crane gets crumpled?”

 

When the noonday sun shone overhead, they stopped under the shade of a tree to have lunch. Yixing unwrapped the spring onion pancakes that his mother had packed. He gave one to Canlie. Out of the two remaining pancakes, Yixing selected the bigger one for Shixun and passed it to him, leaving the smaller one for himself. Still holding his precious paper crane in one hand, Shixun held up his spring onion pancake in his other hand, inspecting it curiously. He sniffed the spring onion pancake delicately, before taking a dainty bite.

 

“Wow, what is this? It’s really good!”

 

“Have you never eaten spring onion pancake before?” asked Canlie.

 

“No, this is the first time. This is so good!”

 

“Your family must be very well-off, for you to never have eaten street food like this.”

  
“Shixun eats mostly fish,” Shixun informed Canlie honestly. “And sometimes other kinds of seafood too. Oh, and the _baozi_ that Yixing ge-ge’s mother makes for his lunch. Yixing ge-ge shares those with me. Yixing ge-ge’s mother makes the best _baozi_!”

 

“Have you eaten other _baozi_ before?” asked Yixing, smiling.

 

“Nope, but even if I have, I will still think that Yixing ge-ge’s mother’s _baozi_ is the best!”

 

Yixing couldn’t help smiling at that. Shixun was too cute. Though there was ample space on the rock that they were sitting on, Shixun sidled up closer to Yixing, sitting so close that the sides of their bodies were touching as they ate.

 

“When we reach the next town, we’ll be able to buy horses there. We’ll make better time after that.”

 

Yixing paled, putting down his half-eaten spring onion pancake, his appetite suddenly gone. If he couldn’t afford to buy a mask for Shixun, he certainly wasn’t going to be able to afford a horse.

 

“Please allow me to get the horses for all of us, Yixing _xiongdi_ ,” Canlie said, accurately reading the look on Yixing’s face.

 

“But… …”

 

“We’re brothers who have been through life and death together,” Canlie said firmly. “What’s a little money between us?”

 

Yixing felt a rush of affection for Canlie. “I’ll pay you back next time.”

 

Canlie smiled at Yixing. “The best repayment is for you to pass the Mount Shu entrance examinations, and become a fellow Mount Shu disciple alongside me.”

 

Canlie turned to Shixun. “Would you be interested in becoming a Mount Shu disciple too? I can tell from the way you move that you are trained in the martial arts. You probably are really good at it too.”

 

“Thank you for the kind invitation, but I would have to decline. I’m just here to accompany Yixing ge-ge.”

 

Canlie nodded, accepting this without further comment. After their meal, they went on their way. As predicted by Canlie, night had just fallen when they reached the next town. They found their way to an inn. Tired out from the road, Yixing was looking forward to a good night’s sleep. At the counter, Canlie asked for three rooms for the night.

 

“Just two rooms will be fine, Canlie _gongzi_. Yixing ge-ge and I can sleep in the same room.”

 

Canlie raised an eyebrow at this. Yixing could feel the tips of his ears turning red.

 

“Shixun, perhaps it’s more appropriate for you to sleep in a room of your own.”

 

“But Yixing ge-ge was concerned over saving money?”

 

Yixing could not argue with this. Already, this inn looked rather expensive, and Yixing wasn’t sure if he could afford a room, let alone two.

 

“Don’t worry about paying for the room, Yixing _xiongdi_. Mount Shu has an open tab with this inn. The cost of the room will be billed to Mount Shu. The two of you can sleep in separate rooms if you like, that won’t be a problem.”

 

“But I don’t want to sleep in separate rooms! I want to sleep in the same room as Yixing ge-ge!”

 

Yixing’s cheeks were flaming. He hoped no one could see in the flickering candlelight of the lamps that hung around them.

 

“Just two rooms, please,” Shixun said firmly to the innkeeper. “One for Canlie _gongzi_ , and the other for Yixing ge-ge and me.”

 

The innkeeper showed them up to the rooms, leading the way by candlelight. Canlie was given the first room the innkeeper brought them to. After bidding Canlie goodnight, Yixing and Shixun were shown to their room. It was big and spacious, about the size of Yixing’s entire hut.

 

The instant the innkeeper closed the door behind him, Shixun flung himself onto Yixing. Simultaneously, their lips found each other’s. They kissed passionately for a long time. Though Yixing would never admit it, the lack of intimacy he imposed between Shixun and himself got to him too. He missed their touches and kisses just as much as Shixun did. Shixun hummed contentedly in between their kisses.

 

They only broke apart when they heard a knock on the door. A servant had brought them a tub of water for them to bathe. Yixing let Shixun wash up first, then used the leftover water for himself. When Yixing was done bathing, he stepped out from behind the wooden folding screen, to see that Shixun was already lying in bed in his white undergarments. He petted the spot on the bed next to him, inviting Yixing to lie down beside him.

 

“You take the bed, Shixun. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

 

Yixing gathered up one of the blankets and a pillow, and was about to lay them on the floor next to the bed but Shixun stopped him.

 

“Why would Yixing ge-ge want to sleep on the floor? The bed is big enough for both of us. The floor is so uncomfortable, Yixing ge-ge won’t be able to sleep well. I won’t allow it.”

 

Before Yixing could protest further, Shixun pulled him down on the bed next to him. Shixun adjusted the porcelain pillow under Yixing’s head for him, and tucked Yixing under the blanket. This was Yixing’s first time sleeping on a real pillow. His pillow back home was just some rags bundled together. The blanket was soft and smooth. But despite the comfort of the bed, Yixing was unable to relax. Shixun’s proximity to him, the fact that they were both lying in the same bed, in the same room, with the privacy of being behind closed doors, the fact that Shixun was wearing just a thin layer of white underclothes… …

 

Yixing held himself rigid as he lay on his back, not daring to move even a muscle as Shixun arranged the blanket around them to his liking, before settling down to pillow his head on Yixing’s shoulder. He slung his arm comfortably around Yixing’s waist.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, look at this.”

 

Shixun held up the paper crane. Gently, he blew on it. To Yixing’s amazement, the paper crane started to glow in the dark, a pretty pale green glow.

 

“Yixing ge-ge can try to blow on it too.”

 

Yixing did as he was told. Immediately after Yixing’s breath touched the paper crane, the paper crane took flight. Slowly flapping its wings, it flew circles around the room, its path in the air traced by remnants of pale green light.

 

“Yixing ge-ge made it fly!”

 

Smiling, Yixing kissed his dragon on the forehead. He knew that him blowing on the crane had nothing to do with it. Shixun had just used his _fashu_ to make the crane fly at the exact moment that Yixing blew on it, to give the illusion that Yixing had done something magical.

 

“Shixun had so much fun today, Yixing ge-ge. The human world is so interesting.”

 

“Oh? What did you like about it?”

 

“I like the market. So many things to see… … I like the food… …. I want to eat everything… … I like the mountains… … But I like being with Yixing ge-ge best of all… …”

 

As Shixun spoke, his voice got fainter, and his words were more spaced out, until his voice eventually trailed off altogether. He was already asleep. A mixture of relief and disappointment flooded Yixing. When Shixun said he wanted to sleep with Yixing, of course that was all he actually wanted to do, to just sleep while holding on to Yixing. Yixing put an arm around Shixun, hugging the sleeping dragon close to him, watching the pale green crane flap his wings languidly as it flew noiselessly around the room.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gongzi = young gentleman  
> baozi = steamed bun


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Yixing woke up at the crack of dawn. He asked for a basin of water from the inn staff, and washed up and got dressed fairly quickly. Though he himself had gotten ready, Yixing found himself having to deal with an extremely sleepy dragon who wouldn’t get out of bed.

 

Smiling, Yixing wet a cloth and sat at the edge of the bed, and used the wet cloth to wipe the still sleeping dragon’s face and hands for him. After much coaxing and plenty of kisses, Yixing managed to convince Shixun to sit up at the side of the bed so that he could dress the dragon in his silk embroidered robes, and tie his long hair neatly in a knot on the top of his head. Yixing couldn’t help noticing how fine and silky Shixun’s hair was. The comb slipped through his hair so smoothly, it was like it was slipping through water. Shixun’s hair piece looked like it was made from pure silver, new and shiny without a single scratch or tarnish, with an oval piece of jade set in the middle. Shixun had a jade pendant too, a round piece of clear, almost transparent green jade, carved in the shape of a pearl-chasing dragon. Yixing hung it on Shixun’s belt, to the side, so that it dangled down his left thigh, like how he had seen Shixun wearing it the day before. Soon, he was satisfied that he had his dragon dressed for the day, looking elegant and immaculate as always, if a little blurry-eyed.

 

“Shixun, the paper crane.”

  
  
It was still flying circles round the room.

 

Blinking blurrily, Shixun held out his hand. The paper crane landed softly in his palm and went still, its glow dissipating.

 

“Let me pack it in my bundle? You can’t be carrying it around all day.” When Shixun looked like he might protest, Yixing added, “I’ll make sure it won’t get crumpled.”

 

Shixun didn’t say anything to object, so Yixing took his silence as consent. He folded the paper crane flat, placed in carefully in between his clothes, before tying up the cloth bundle and slinging it over one shoulder.

 

As they walked down the stairs, Shixun slipped his hand into Yixing’s, and used his other hand to hold onto Yixing’s elbow. Yixing allowed it. He was afraid the sleepy dragon might miss his footing and fall down the stairs otherwise. They found Canlie already seating at a table in the restaurant of the inn. He had already ordering a pot of tea and a plate of steamed buns, and was waiting for them.

 

After they greeted Canlie good morning and sat down, Canlie poured them a cup of tea each. Yixing placed a steamed bun on Shixun’s plate, before taking one for himself. He was about to bite into his steamed bun, when he felt a tug on his sleeve.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, feed me?”

 

Yixing blushed slightly. He chanced a glance at Canlie. The Mount Shu disciple busied himself with taking a sip of tea, his eyes lowered, not looking at either Yixing or Shixun.

 

“Shixun, eat on your own.”

 

“I’m sleepy. I don’t feel like eating.”

 

Shixun laid his head on the table, completely ignoring his steamed bun. Yixing felt a swell of anxiety. He couldn’t bear the thought of Shixun not eating anything. What if Shixun got hungry later? Yixing looked around. They were early, and there were no other customers in the dining hall yet. Only Canlie was with them, and Canlie had shown himself to be tolerant to Yixing and Shixun thus far. Giving in to the dragon, Yixing tore off a small chunk from Shixun’s steamed bun and held it up in front of him. Smiling, Shixun sat up. He parted his lips slightly, allowing Yixing to push the small chunk of steamed bun into his mouth. In this manner, Yixing fed Shixun the entire steamed bun.

 

“Now is Shixun’s turn to feed Yixing ge-ge!” Shixun said chirpily as he reached the steamed bun on Yixing’s plate.

 

Yixing looked at Shixun. His demeanour had switched from sleepy to perky too quickly. It began to dawn on Yixing that Shixun had probably fully woken up a long time ago, but had continued to act sleepy in order to get himself thoroughly spoilt by Yixing. Yixing firmly took back his steamed bun from Shixun, preventing Shixun from feeding him. Wordlessly, he put another steamed bun on Shixun’s plate before proceeding to take a bite out of his own, an unspoken indication to Shixun that he should eat his next steamed bun without any help from Yixing.

 

Shixun pouted, but Yixing ignored him, steadily eating his steamed bun without making eye contact with the dragon. Still pouting, Shixun conceded and ate his second steamed bun on his own, nibbling daintily while looking absolutely piteous. He kept glancing over at Yixing, pouting and peering pitifully at Yixing from under his lashes. Yixing pretended not to notice.

 

Yixing could see Canlie stifling a smile behind his cup of tea, and could tell the Mount Shu disciple found Shixun’s antics cute too. It must hurt Canlie, that Shixun’s affections were directed at Yixing and not at him, yet Canlie had been nothing but gentlemanly to both Yixing and Shixun, and Yixing felt another rush of admiration for the Mount Shu disciple.

 

After breakfast, they left the inn and Canlie brought them in search of a merchant who could sell them horses. The town was beginning to wake up. Shops were starting to open, peddlers starting to ply the streets, stalls starting to set up, people starting to fill the streets. Canlie led the way, asking around for directions to a horse merchant. As Yixing and Shixun trailed behind, Yixing used the opportunity to ask Shixun privately, “If you, your father and your brothers are all away, who’s going to answer all the prayers made at the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea Temples?”

 

“Liying jie-jie said she would do it,” said Shixun. “She’s a dragon too.”

 

“A relative?”

 

“No, she’s the childhood friend of my oldest brother, Yifan. She used to be a fish, but she jumped over the Dragon Gate together with my oldest brother and became a dragon. She’s about a thousand years older than me, but her _fashu_ is about the same level as mine, because she didn’t start off as a dragon. If you count only the years that she has been a dragon, she’s only two hundred years old, even younger than Shixun! Just like Shixun, her _fashu_ is enough to answer basic prayers. She should be able to keep things together until I return.”

 

“She won’t tell Yifan when he comes back?”

 

Shixun shook his head confidently.

 

“Liying jie-jie dotes on Shixun. Whenever my older brothers bully me, she always takes my side. My oldest brother says she spoils me too much, but he can’t do anything about it. My oldest brother may be strong and powerful, but when it comes to Liying-jie jie, Liying jie-jie has him wrapped around her little finger,” Shixun smirked.

 

Yixing immediately understood the relationship between Liying and Yifan. It was similar to how Shixun had Yixing eating out of his hand. He smiled and tweaked his cheeky dragon on the nose. 

 

“Yixing x _iongdi_ , Shixun _gongzi_ ,” Canlie called out from in front. “Come and choose your horses.”

 

Canlie was standing in the front of a stable, petting a chestnut coloured horse. It was easy to see that he had a way with animals, from the way he handled the horse with ease, familiarity and care.

 

“Can either of you ride?”

 

Yixing shook his head while Shixun said, “Yes, I can!”

 

Yixing wasn’t surprised. Shixun seemed to be able to do anything.

 

“Yixing ge-ge can ride on my horse with me!” said Shixun, looking delighted at the prospect.

 

Yixing smiled at Shixun’s enthusiasm. Shixun held onto the corner of Yixing’s sleeve and pulled him along to inspect all the horses on sale. He petted each one, stroking their manes and talking them. He kept asking Yixing for his opinion, but Yixing honestly had no idea how to choose a horse and was content to go along with whatever Shixun chose. Eventually, Shixun seemed to pick a white coloured stallion. He stayed with the stallion, instead of moving on to see another horse, stroking his mane and inviting Yixing to come and pet him too.

 

Suddenly, there was a flurry of commotion on the street. Everyone was either gasping or shouting out, pointing towards the sky. Yixing and Shixun looked up too, and saw a figure in white flowing robes balanced on a sword, flying through the sky above them. He cut through the air smoothly and elegantly, completely ambivalent to the commotion he was causing below him.

 

Shixun looked over at Canlie. “That man who just flew past on a sword, he seems to be wearing the same clothes as you, Canlie _gongzi_.”

 

“Yes, that man is a disciple of Mount Shu too,” said Canlie, who seemed happy that Shixun addressed him. “My _shidi_ , Du Jingxiu.”

 

“How come he can fly?” asked Shixun curiously.

 

“It’s called the art of sword-flying, a skill unique to Mount Shu.”

 

Yixing could sense the quiet pride Canlie had in Mount Shu.

 

“If your _shidi_ can fly, then so can you?”

 

Canlie nodded.

 

Shixun cocked his head to side, looking confused.

 

“If Canlie _gongzi_ can fly, why are we buying horses? Why not let’s fly to Mount Shu?”

 

Shixun’s tone wasn’t rude. He merely sounded curious.

 

“I’m afraid that my skill at sword-flying is not good enough at the moment to be able to bring along two other people on the same sword as me. At most, I can bring only one.”

 

Shixun was biting his lip. Yixing knew he was itching to say that he could easily have flown both Yixing and Canlie to Mount Shu, without the need of any swords.

 

“Canlie _gongzi_ , show me how you fly on a sword?”

 

“Sure, of course I’ll show Shixun _gongzi_ if you want. But let’s not hold up the horse merchant? Let me finish buying the horses first, and we’ll go to the outskirts of the town where there are less people, and I’ll show you.”

 

“No, show me now.”

 

Shixun grabbed Canlie’s wrist, and pulled him away from the horse merchant. Yixing followed them as Shixun pulled Canlie through the streets, towards the edge of the town. Yixing knew that it was a thoughtless gesture on Shixun’s part, but he could tell that to Canlie, it already meant too much, to have skin to skin contact with Shixun. After they had left the last building in the town behind and stepped into an empty field, Shixun let go of Canlie’s wrist, and stepped back, standing next to Yixing.

 

“Canlie _gongzi_ , could you show us how you fly on a sword?”

 

The Mount Shu disciple was looking slightly breathless, his cheeks flushed pink.

 

“Erm… yes… of course.”

 

Canlie unsheathed the sword that he had strapped to his back. In an elegant sweep, he threw the sword in front of him. The sword fell through the air in a controlled arc, but did not hit the ground. Instead, it hovered in front of Canlie at shin level. As it fell through the air, the sword also grew in size, so that it was an enlarged sword that stood in the air in front of Canlie, the width of the blade just nice for a grown man to place both feet on. Canlie stepped on it. He closed both palms in front of his chest, his second and third finger pointing towards the sky, with the other fingers folded down. Yixing watched in awe as the sword levitated and rose towards the clouds, bringing Canlie along with it. Canlie flew in a loop round the field before he came back to the same spot, dismounting from his sword in front of Yixing and Shixun.

 

“That was amazing, Canlie _daxia_ ,” said Yixing sincerely, and Canlie smiled at him.

 

“Shixun can do it too!”

 

Both Yixing and Canlie turned to Shixun, surprised.

 

“After watching Canlie _gongzi_ , I think I figured out how it’s done.”

 

“Shixun _gongzi_ ,” Canlie said slowly. “It took me one year just to learn how to throw the sword properly, so that it would enlarge and levitate correctly. Another year to learn how to make the sword obey me and fly where I will it to, and another year to learn how keep the sword airborne for sustained periods of time… …”

 

Shixun reached behind his back. When he drew out his hand, he was holding out a sword.

 

“Shixun _gongzi,_ where did you get the sword from?”

 

Shixun threw out the sword in front of him, and it enlarged and hovered above the ground before him. Shixun stepped lightly on it, his palms clasped together with his second and third fingers facing skywards like Chanlie had done. His sword rose in the air effortlessly. Leaving Canlie and Yixing watching wide-eyed in his wake, Shixun took to the air and flew a single round around the field. His sword came to an elegant stop in front of Yixing. He held out a hand to Yixing.

 

“This is so fun! Yixing ge-ge, come on board and try too!”

 

Taking Shixun’s hand, Yixing got onto the sword, standing behind Shixun. He wrapped his arms around Shixun’s waist.

 

“Hold on tight, Yixing ge-ge!”

 

Yixing saw the ground drop below them. This was not the first time Yixing had gone flying with Shixun, but it felt very different. Flying while being seated on the dragon’s body felt a lot more secure, simply because it had seemed more solid. Now, beneath him was just a thin blade of steel, then empty air all the way down to ground level. Nevertheless, Yixing felt safe with Shixun. He knew that Shixun would never let him fall. In the blink of an eye, they had risen so high that Canlie had become the size of a hand puppet, standing in the middle of the green field looking up at them, the backdrop of the roofs and buildings of the town behind him.

 

“Are you coming, Canlie _gongzi_? We’ll leave you behind!”

 

Canlie got on his sword. Shixun hovered in mid-air in the same spot until Canlie had caught up with them.

 

“Shixun _gongzi_ ,” Canlie still looked like he didn’t know how he to process what was going on. “You.. … learn really fast.”

 

“Of course,” Shixun said happily. “Shixun is a genius. You mean that wasn’t obvious right from the start?”

 

Despite how perplexed he was, Canlie couldn’t help laughing at that. Yixing too stifled a smile, hiding it behind Shixun’s back.

 

“Shixun _gongzi,_ where did you get that sword from?”

 

“Erm… I was carrying it all along!”

 

Canlie frowned. “I didn’t see you carrying a sword.” He turned to Yixing. “Did you see Shixun _gongzi_ carrying a sword, Yixing _xiongdi_?”

 

Yixing didn’t know how to answer.

 

“Oh, let’s not worry about such small details,” Shixun said airily. “The important thing is that now that we can fly, let’s get going to Mount Shu!”

 

Shixun smiled winningly at Canlie, and Yixing could almost see all coherent thoughts fly out of Canlie’s head as Canlie basked in the smile.

 

“Lead the way, Canlie _gongzi_. I was bluffing about leaving you behind just now, because I don’t actually know the way to Mount Shu.”

 

Smiling, Canlie led the way. Yixing took advantage of the fact that Canlie was in front to press a quick kiss on the back of Shixun’s neck. Shixun turned back slightly to smile at Yixing.

 

They flew over the town, the roofs of the buildings looking like mushroom caps. The townspeople below were looking and pointing up at them. Some kids on the streets ran and tried to chase after them on foot. Shixun waved back at them, until they could keep up no longer and faded out of sight.

 

Yixing soon realised that Canlie was following the road beneath them, the same road that they would have travelled over on foot, if not for the fact that Shixun had shown himself capable of flying. As they flew, the scenery rolled past beneath Yixing’s feet, like a rug being pulled steadily under him. The wind whipped Yixing’s hair and robes to the back, the flowing robes of Shixun’s silks flapping against Yixing. A flock of birds flew alongside them, small little swiftlets that darted in and out, flying circles between them for a while before leaving them in favour of flying west.

 

They stopped at the shores of a river for lunch. Yixing made use of his skills as a fisherman to catch a fish. Besides line fishing and net fishing, Yixing’s father had taught him spear fishing as well. To Yixing’s delight, he caught a sturgeon fish by spearing it with a sharp stick that he had obtained by splintering off a nearby tree. Yixing remembered his father telling him that sturgeon fish were one of those rare fish that swam in both fresh and salt waters. They were born in freshwater rivers and swam to sea when they adults. But they swam back to freshwater rivers when it was time to breed, and it was lucky that they had happened to encounter a school of sturgeon fish swimming upstream.

 

As Yixing skinned and cleaned the fish, Canlie built a fire, while Shixun played by the water’s edge. Yixing smiled at how delighted Shixun was, and let him be until the fished was cooked.

 

“I wish I could go swimming in the river,” Shixun said as he settled down next to Yixing in front of the fire when Yixing called him over.  “That would be so fun. Shixun has only swam in the sea. Shixun has never swam in a river before. My father won’t allow it.”

 

Yixing looked at the river. It was huge, enough for a dragon to swim comfortably in, and immediately knew that Shixun wasn’t referring to swimming in his human form.

 

“You’ll be easily seen if you swim in a river,” said Yixing gently.

 

Shixun pouted, but didn’t otherwise argue with Yixing. He perked up though, when Yixing passed him a huge chunk of cooked fish meat that Yixing had carefully deboned and placed on a leaf. Yixing could not help noticing that Shixun’s shoes and bottom of his robes looked suspiciously dry for someone who had just been wading knee-deep in the water. Yixing quickly passed a chunk of fish to Canlie too, hoping food would distract the Mount Shu disciple. A look at the Mount Shu disciple though, and Yixing knew his feeble plan hadn’t managed to work. Yixing knew that even though Canlie hadn’t made any further mention of it, he hadn’t forgotten about the sudden appearance of Shixun’s sword earlier that morning either.

 

“Shixun knows a bit of _fashu_ , just like you, Canlie _daxia_ ,” Yixing explained, not wanting Canlie to misunderstand Shixun. “He’s not… … He isn’t a demon, or anything like that.”

 

Shixun looked up from his fish, surprised.

 

“I know that Shixun _gongzi_ is not a demon. That has never crossed my mind,” Canlie quickly explained. “Shixun _gongzi_ ’s aura… it’s too upright to belong to a demon.”

 

“It is, isn’t it?” Shixun said happily. “Of course Shixun’s aura would be upright! But it’s nothing compared to Yixing-gege’s, of course. Yixing ge-ge’s aura is the best.”

 

“But at the same time… … Shixun _gongzi_ ’s aura is unlike anything I have ever seen before. It’s not like a demon’s, but I’ve never seen a human with such an aura either… ...”

 

“Of course!” Shixun nodded happily. “Shixun is one of a kind. Can I have more fish, Yixing ge-ge?”

 

They travelled in this fashion, flying over towns, rivers and hills in the day, stopping to eat or stay the night at inns. Yixing learnt that Mount Shu had an open tab with inns in most major towns. At the first inn they stayed at, Canlie asked whether his _shidi_ Du Jingxiu was spending at the inn too, but was told by the innkeeper that he wasn’t.

 

“He must be one town ahead of us,” said Canlie. “He would be on the same route as us, on the way back to Mount Shu too.”

 

Every night, when they checked in at an inn, Canlie booked a single room for himself, and a double room for Yixing and Shixun, without Shixun having to request it, earning him smiles from Shixun.

 

On the fifth day, as their swords cut through the air beneath their feet, the clouds in the distance parted, revealing a towering mountain range that rose from the ground and into the sky. The mountains seemed to be made of sheer rock, steep and dropping in ridges, capped with puffs of greenery with wisps of clouds nestled in the valleys up to halfway up the mountains, so that their peaks stood up from the cloud blanket.  

 

“Mount Shu,” Canlie said, a quiet happiness in his voice.

 

As they flew nearer the mountain range, Canlie led them to the main cluster of peaks, broader and taller than the other peaks. From their airborne vantage, they could see a cluster of buildings built around the peaks, elegant buildings with intricate wooden carvings and windows, tiled sloping pavilion roofs, curved wooden bridges built over mountain streams that flowed in between cultivated bonsais, cherry blossom trees, pine trees and rock gardens.

 

“That’s where my _shifu_ , _shibo_ , and _shishu_ live,” Canlie said, pointing to the three grand buildings, built on their own individual peaks.

 

“That’s the main hall.” Canlie pointed to the grandest building at the centre of the cluster of buildings. It had three levels of tiled roofs. “That’s the library at the side, and the training grounds to the left.”

 

“And that’s where I live,” Canlie pointed to a small house built at the edge of a cliff. There were a few other houses of similar size built around the same peak. “My fellow disciples stay in those houses.”

 

“Mount Shu…” Yixing was in awe. “It’s… beautiful.”

 

“Yes! It’s so interesting!” Shixun said as he looked around, his eyes bright. “Let’s fly in to take a closer look!”

 

“I’m afraid that only disciples of Mount Shu can go into the upper peaks,” Canlie said. “For now, I’ll have to take you to the lower peaks. Yixing _xiongdi_ can register for the Mount Shu entrance examinations there.”

 

As they flew to the base of the mountain, another cluster of buildings came to view. Unlike the buildings in the higher peaks, this cluster of buildings was bustling with people. They landed in a big courtyard, causing a flurry of commotion as people parted to give them landing space. They dismounted from their swords in the centre of the crowd. Yixing looked around, taking in the sight of all the people around him. The crowd consisted of mostly young men, but they seemed to come from all walks of life.

 

As Canlie walked through the crowd, people parted before him. Yixing followed, with Shixun in tow. Canlie led them to a courtyard, where a long table had been set up. A long queue had formed in front of it. Yixing and Shixun got into the queue, and Canlie waited beside them. People kept glancing at Canlie, and because they were with Canlie, Yixing and Shixun too. A few people came up to pay their greetings to Canlie. Canlie answered them politely, and after that, it was like the floodgates had opened. People were crowding around Canlie, wanting to speak to him. Yixing and Shixun found themselves separated from Canlie. Without Canlie’s accompaniment, they slowly progressed to the front of the queue. A man in white Mount Shu robes sat behind the long table. Yixing bowed to him.

 

“I would like to register for the Mount Shu entrance examinations, please.”

 

“Yes, of course.” The man had big eyes that were round and large despite his single eyelids, yet narrow at the sides, making him remind Yixing of a cat. He had a round face, and a pretty, boyish look. “May I have your letter of recommendation, please?”

 

Yixing looked dumbly at the man, before glancing at Shixun. Shixun looked equally nonplussed.

 

“You need to have a letter of recommendation, before you are eligible to register for the Mount Shu examinations,” the man said kindly. “Either from a sect leader, or a renowned martial arts pugilist.”

 

“Oh. I don’t have a letter,” Yixing admitted.

 

“It’s alright, Yixing ge-ge. Let’s go back to your village. I’ll help you fish every day, just like we used to do. And if it’s martial arts Yixing ge-ge wants to learn, Shixun can teach you! Like that sword flying skill, it’s really easy, and ... …”

 

“ _Da shixiong_.”

 

It was Canlie.

 

“ _Shidi_.” The man behind the table stood up to greet Canlie, smiling warmly. “You’re back. We received the pigeon you sent to say you had completed your mission, and were expecting you back a few days ago. We were starting to worry.”

 

“I’m sorry to have caused you worry, _shixiong_. I was on my way back to Mount Shu when I chanced upon a village being attacked by bandits. I stayed to help, and this delayed my journey back.”

 

Canlie turned to Yixing and Shixun.

 

“This is my _da shixiong_ , Xiumin _. Shixiong_ , this is Yixing _xiongdi_ , and Shixun _gongzi_. Yixing _xiongdi_ is here to take part in the Mount Shu entrance examinations.”

 

“Yixing doesn’t seem to have a recommendation letter though.”

 

“That’s alright, _shixiong_. I can vouch for Yixing _xiongdi_. He fought side by side with me during the bandit attack. He slew the bandit chief, who was actually a bear demon in disguise.”

 

Yixing’s cheeks heated up slightly as he felt all eyes in the courtyard on him.

 

“If a Mount Shu disciple personally vouches for you, then you don’t need a recommendation letter.”

 

Xiumin asked Yixing how his name should be written, and Yixing watched as Xiumin wrote his name into the book ledger with his brush. Xiumin passed Yixing a small wooden tag with the number “One hundred and eleven” carved into it.

 

“Would Shixun be registering for the entrance examination as well?” asked Xiumin.

 

Shixun shook his head. “I’m just here to accompany Yixing ge-ge.”

 

Xiumin smiled kindly at him. “As you wish. There’s a small town at the base of the hill, a few hours walk away. There’s an inn there. You can stay there while waiting for Yixing.”

 

“You mean I can’t stay here with Yixing ge-ge?” Shixun looked shocked when Xiumin nodded in response.

 

“Only applicants to the Mount Shu entrance examinations may stay here, at the temporary lodgings we have prepared here at the foot of Mount Shu. Everyone else should stay at the town.”

 

Shixun now turned to Canlie, his eyes wide and pleading. “Canlie _gongzi_ , you can’t expect me to separate from Yixing ge-ge!”

 

Canlie looked extremely awkward, ill at ease to see Shixun so upset.

 

“I’m afraid this is a regulation set by my _shifu_ , _shibo_ and _shishu_. There’s no way that this rule can be bent.”

 

“Then if that’s the case, Shixun will take part in the Mount Shu examinations too!”

 

“Shixun,” said Yixing slowly. “I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”

 

“Of course it’s a good idea, Yixing ge-ge. They’re going to separate us otherwise!”

 

Canlie turned to Xiumin.

  
“I vouch for Shixun _gongzi_ as well. He learnt the art of sword flying almost instantaneously, just by watching me do it.”

 

“Yes, I was wondering about that, when I saw the three of you fly in. The art of sword flying is a martial art skill unique to Mount Shu, and should not be taught to others… …”

 

“I swear I did not teach him, _shixiong_. Shixun _gongzi_ just saw me do it, and immediately figured out how it was done. He got it right on his first try, without the need for any practice. He is a genius of a level I have never seen before.”

 

Shixun beamed at Canlie at this, causing Canlie’s cheeks to flush pink slightly. Xiumin wrote Shixun’s name into the ledger too, and handed him a wooden tag that read “One hundred and twelve.”

 

There was a sudden flurry of commotion. Everyone was gasping, looking upwards and pointing. Yixing looked upwards into the sky too, and five swords were soaring through the sky at amazing speed, hurtling towards the courtyard where they were standing. Just when it seemed like the five swords were going to collide into the ground, the five swords came to a sudden but controlled stop, and the five men who had been riding on them jumped off elegantly. They stood at the top of a flight of stone stairs at the entrance of the building situated in the courtyard. Upon seeing them, both Canlie and Xiumin ascended the stairs to join them. They stood in a line, facing the crowd of people. Yixing thought they looked splendid in their robes of pure white, obvious strength and discipline radiating from them.

 

“Who are these people?” Shixun asked a man who was standing near them.

 

The man looked taken aback.

 

“They are the Seven Sons of Mount Shu. Surely you know of them.”

 

“Nope. Never heard of them. Who are they?”

 

“Never heard of them?!” The man sounded flabbergasted.

 

“But, Canlie _daxia_ vouched for the two of you!” said another man who was standing nearby. “Surely you know him.”

 

“Oh, I know Canlie _gongzi_. He’s sort of nice.”

 

“Sort of nice? He’s a legend!”

 

“You mean the two of you came to register for the Mount Shu entrance examinations without knowing who the Seven Sons of Mount Shu are?”

 

 “Yes, that’s about right,” said Shixun, sounding completely unperturbed.  "Now, would someone explain who they are already?”

 

“The Seven Sons of Mount Shu are the seven disciples of the current generation of Mount Shu disciples.” Yixing looked at the new speaker, a young man with delicate features and a refined look. He was the first person to speak to them without a condescending tone. “From left to right, there’s Piao Canlie, Du Jingxiu, Jin Zhongren, Jin Junmian, Jin Zhongda, Jin Minxi and Bian Boxian.”

 

Yixing looked at each of them, his eyes sweeping from left to right, and back again. So, these were the current disciples of Mount Shu. They were impressive indeed. Yixing glanced at Shixun. He too had his eye on the Seven Sons of Mount Shu, but contrary to the awe Yixing was feeling, Shixun looked rather detached, almost bored.

 

The man whom was identified as Jin Junmian was addressing the crowd. He thanked all present for coming to take part in the Mount Shu entrance examinations. He said that there was still a few days to go before registration would come to a close, and he bid everyone to take this opportunity to have a good rest while waiting. Finally, he wished each of them luck in becoming the Eighth Son of Mount Shu.

 

“The Eighth Son of Mount Shu?” Yixing said slowly. “You mean… … Mount Shu is only going to choose one of us to be the next disciple?”

 

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” replied the young man with a sigh. “It was like this during the previous round of Mount Shu of entrance examinations as well, the one which was held two years ago. Jin Zhongren was the only one to be chosen.”

 

Yixing stared at the number on his tag. The number “One hundred and eleven” stared back at him. There were over a hundred applicants, and only one of them was going to be chosen. Yixing could feel his heart sinking. The odds were a lot harder than he had expected. Yixing was struck by how foolish this entire endeavour was. Yixing was a simple fisherman, nothing more. Why had he thought that he could become something more?

 

“Yixing ge-ge is going to be the one to qualify,” Shixun said firmly, interrupting Yixing’s thoughts. Yixing knew that Shixun was only saying this because he wanted to banish Yixing’s insecurities, but what he had said was earning him death glares from all around. Completely oblivious to the mood of the crowd around him, Shixun continued, “Yixing ge-ge is the best! If Yixing ge-ge wants it, then no one else would be able to get it, because no one else can compare to Yixing ge-ge.”

 

“Shixun.”

 

It was a warning, said by Yixing in a gentle tone, but a warning nonetheless that Shixun should stop talking. Heeding Yixing, Shixun fell silent, not provoking the crowd around them further.

 

Yixing watched as Jin Junmian bid everyone a good night. In unison, the Seven Sons of Mount Shu threw their swords in the air before them. They shot through the sky, their flight making impressive arcs in the air before they disappeared from sight, heading towards the peak of the mountain.

 

The crowded slowly dispersed. The nice man, who introduced himself as Yang Yang, was kind enough to lead them to the cluster of wooden tree houses that served as temporary accommodations to all who were taking part in the examinations. Yixing and Shixun managed to find an empty tree house right at the back of the woods. Yixing smiled at Shixun’s reaction of utter delight at the construct of their tree house, marvelling at every little detail, from the rope ladder that led up to the tree house, to how the planks connected from one branch to another to form the floor and roof, to the hammocks that were hung in from one branch to another within the interior of the tree house. A wooden cabin in the centre of the woods served at the dining hall, and Yixing and Shixun were served a simple dinner of soup noodles there. When they retired to their tree house for the night, Shixun insisted on sleeping in the same hammock as Yixing, despite the fact that was another empty hammock hanging nearby.

 

“Is this alright? Are you comfortable?” Yixing asked.

 

Yixing was used to a basic lifestyle, but he knew that Shixun must have been brought up in luxury, and he was worried that roughing it out in the woods would be too much for Shixun to bear.

 

“Shixun is with Yixing ge-ge. Of course Shixun is comfortable!”

 

“Shixun, do you think you should go home soon? What if your father or brothers return, and find you gone?”

 

“Don’t worry, Yixing ge-ge. My father and brothers often go out for decades at a time. You must understand that while ten years, or twenty years, or thirty years might be a long time for a human, but to a dragon, it’s nothing. Shixun can stay out longer. It will be fine, Shixun won’t get caught.”

 

Though still a little worried, Shixun’s words pacified Yixing somewhat.

 

“My Yixing ge-ge is the best,” Shixun said, sounding sleepy. He had his arm around Yixing’s waist and his head on Yixing’s shoulder. “Shixun loves Yixing ge-ge so much… …”

 

Shixun’s voice trailed off as he fell asleep. Yixing smiled as he planted a gentle kiss on the sleeping dragon’s forehead. Sleep did not come so easily to Yixing. He lay there on the hammock for a long time, watching the crescent moon and her surrounding stars through the open window of the tree house for a long time, wishing that he had the same confidence in himself that Shixun had in him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Seven Sons of Mount Shu (蜀山七子):  
> First disciple = Jin Minxi, also known as Xiumin (Kim Minseok)  
> Second disciple = Jin Junmian (Kim Junmyeon)  
> Third disciple = Bian Boxian (Byun Baekhyun)  
> Fourth disciple = Jin Zhongda, also known as Chen (Kim Jongdae)  
> Fifth disciple = Piao Canlie (Park Chanyeol)  
> Sixth disciple = Du Jingxiu (Do Kyungsoo)  
> Seventh disciple = Jin Zhongren, also known as Kai (Kim Jongin)
> 
>  
> 
> shixiong = fellow disciple (elder)  
> shidi = fellow disciple (junior)  
> shifu = teacher  
> shibo = teacher's fellow disciple (elder)  
> shishu = teacher's fellow disciple (junior)  
> da shixiong = eldest fellow disciple  
> jie-jie = older sister


	6. Chapter 6

Like so many mornings he spent as a fisherman, Yixing was up before even the crack of dawn. Yixing was used to this, but it was clear many around him were not. Complaints were murmured, hushed and stifled. Tension hung in the air, tangible and palpable. Nerves were eating away at Yixing too, making him even quieter and more stiff than usual.

 

The only one unaffected was Shixun. Wrapped warmly in a fur coat that he had freshly conjured just this morning before they had left their treehouse, he was curiously inspecting every corner of the cliff they were currently standing on. Every so often, he would come running back to Yixing to report something interesting he spotted.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, there’s a bird nest up at the top of that pine tree. Come and look! There are three eggs inside.”

 

He grabbed Yixing by the sleeve of his fur coat, which exactly matched the one Shixun himself wore, and dragged him to the base of the pine tree. Up at the crown of the tree, a sudden bird cry rang out. Yixing looked up, to see a couple of ravens circling the upper branches of the tree.

 

“Ah,” said Shixun, his face falling in disappointment. “The mother bird’s angry, Yixing ge-ge. She says we can’t go near her eggs. I’m sorry Yixing ge-ge, I can’t show you the bird’s nest after all.”

 

Unable to bear the crestfallen look on his dragon’s face, Yixing tweaked Shixun on the nose, despite his determination that he and Shixun should keep a proper distance in public. Yixing watched as that simple touch caused Shixun’s face to brighten up. A warmth welled up inside Yixing, chasing away the morning chill and allaying his nerves somewhat.

 

The tell-tale arc that cut through the sky heralded to all present of the coming of a Mount Shu disciple. Yixing and Shixun followed the crowd as they gathered together in the centre of the cliff. The sword was hurtling through the air at high speed, but it came to a smooth and controlled stop just a few feet above the ground. The Mount Shu disciple jumped lightly off the sword.

 

It was Jin Zhongren, the youngest of the Mount Shu disciples, the Seventh Son of Mount Shu. He smiled brightly at all present, cheery despite the early hour, his white teeth contrasting against his dark skin tone, and his eyes brimming with warmth and mirth.

 

“A warm welcome to the first phase of the Mount Shu entrance examinations. I am Kai, and I will be the examiner for the first phase. The requirement of the first phase is simple. You just have to keep up with me, until we reach the venue of the second phase.”

 

With that, Jin Zhongren disappeared. A blink of an eye ago, he had been standing in front of everyone. But now he was gone.

 

“Over there!”

 

Someone cried out. Following the direction of the pointed finger, Yixing indeed saw the tell-tale white Mount Shu robes in the distance. The white-robed figure was sprinting down a rocky path that winded down the cliff towards the valley below.

 

It was a mad rush, bodies pushing past Yixing and Shixun from all directions. Instinctively, Yixing hugged Shixun to him, trying his best to shield Shixun from the onslaught of bodies that were pushing past them. While Yixing was concerned that no one should push into Shixun and cause him any hurt, Yixing knew that all Shixun was concerned with was the fact that Yixing was holding him. He burrowed himself contentedly into Yixing’s embrace, seemingly oblivious to the world around them.  When the barrage of bodies pushed past them, Yixing let his arms fall away from Sehun, much to the dragon’s dissatisfaction. Trying to ignore the dragon’s pout, Yixing said, “We have to catch up with them.”

 

Yixing ran in the direction that everyone had gone, trusting Shixun to follow him. Trying his best to make up for lost time, Yixing ran as fast as he could, his breathing harsh and ragged. He had barely reached the mouth of the trail that led down the side of the cliff, when Shixun stopped him.

 

“Yixing ge-ge can’t run like this. Yixing ge-ge will get tired easily.”

 

Heeding Shixun’s advice, Yixing stopped. Indeed, while Yixing was breathing heavily, Shixun was completely immaculate and unruffled, as if running the distance they had just covered was completely effortless.

 

“Yixing ge-ge should run like this.”

 

Completely bypassing the path, Shixun elegantly stepped off the side of the cliff. He landed on a rocky outcrop, easily covering the distance of two curves in the path in an instant. He held out his hand to Yixing.

 

“Come, Yixing ge-ge.”

 

Yixing stepped up to the side of the cliff, the exact same spot that Shixun had been standing only moments before. Before him, the cliff dropped sharply. Solid rock where his feet was currently standing, but just right in front, nothing but empty air. Should he fall, his body would surely hit the jagged rocks below.

 

But Shixun was there, standing on the rocky outcrop below him, holding out his hand, waiting for him. Yixing steeled himself. He only needed to jump where he was to where Shixun was. Shixun would never let him fall.

 

Yixing took a breath, and leapt. There were a few heart-stopping moments when Yixing’s feet sailed over thin air, but then his feet were landing on solid rock, his body falling safely into Shixun’s open arms. Yixing took a moment to recover, breathing heavily as he held onto Shixun. Shixun took advantage of Yixing’s moment of vulnerability to disobey Yixing’s no-intimacy-in-public rule and plant a quick kiss on his cheek.

 

“That was really good, Yixing ge-ge! Yixing ge-ge has good physique. Yixing ge-ge is agile and has good reflexes. But Yixing ge-ge is still not doing it right. Yixing ge-ge has a breath of my _xianqi_ in your body. Yixing ge-ge should use that when you jump. Then it’ll be much easier. I’ll do it again, but slowly for Yixing ge-ge to see, alright?”

 

Shixun stepped slightly apart from Yixing. He took a deep breath, stretching out his arms, and moving them around in a slow circle, upwards from waist level until his palms met above his head.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, this is how you gather your _qi_ , see? Feel your _qi_ as it moves around your body, and instead of letting it roam around freely, you collect it, make it into a ball of concentrated _qi_ in your body.”

 

His hands came to stop in front of his stomach.

 

“You gather your _qi_ at your diaphragm first. For beginners, it’s easier if you use your diaphragm as a starting point, before you direct your gathered _qi_ where you want it to go. In this case, we should direct eight parts out of ten of our _qi_ to our feet, but still leave two parts at the diaphragm as a core. Once that is done, then only we jump. See?”

 

Shixun stepped off the rocky outcrop, landing lightly once again on another rock a distance below. If one followed the path proper, it was three winding bends below. But Shixun had covered that distance in a heartbeat.

 

“The movement I make is not very big. Just a small step. But in that small step, the small lifting of my feet, I can cover a big distance. You make the jump not so much with your physical strength, but with your _qi_. You let your _qi_ do the work for you. Most pugilists spend years and years cultivating their _qi,_ but Yixing ge-ge has my _xianqi_ inside you. Yixing ge-ge can just use that.”

 

Yixing stared at Shixun. It was a lot to take in. It all sounded extremely foreign to Yixing, but Shixun was smiling up at Yixing, his hand outstretched towards Yixing, his expression trusting and optimistic, like he had absolute faith that Yixing would have no trouble at all doing something so simple.

 

Yixing sucked a deep breath and closed his eyes. He held his arms outstretched at waist level like Shixun just did. He moved his arms upwards in a circle, letting his palms connect above his head, before bringing his connected palms vertically downwards in front of his bellybutton. Yixing opened his eyes and looked at Shixun.

 

“I don’t feel anything,” Yixing confessed. “This _qi_ you are talking about, I don’t feel it.”

 

“Yixing ge-ge can do it,” Shixun said encouragingly. “Yixing ge-ge has done it before. When you leapt off my back to kill the bear demon.”

 

He done it before? In an instant, Yixing was transported back to the moment just before he killed the bear demon. In his mind’s eye, he saw the bear demon pounding on the ground, throwing itself at the little girl. Yixing let himself experience the emotions one more time, his desperation to reach the little girl before the bear demon did, the adrenalin coursing through his veins, the energy coiling and gathering in his bent legs… …

 

Yixing jumped. Before he knew it, he was in Shixun’s arms again, adrenalin swirling like a raging tornado within him. Yixing leaned into Shixun’s safe embrace, waiting for the adrenalin storming inside him to peter out.

 

“Yixing ge-ge did it! Yixing ge-ge is the best.”

 

And Shixun kissed him again, this time full on the mouth.

 

“Shixun,” Yixing said, a gentle admonishment.

 

“But we should celebrate Yixing ge-ge’s success with a kiss!”

 

“Shixun,” Yixing said again, but slightly more firmly this time.

 

“Oh, all right then. Shixun will be good.” Shixun conceded, but his pout was out in full force, until Yixing gave in and tweaked his dragon on the nose.

 

Shixun jumped down to the next rocky outcrop again. This time, Yixing followed soon after. Yixing’s movements were not as elegant or as polished as Shixun’s, but Yixing could feel the difference.  Jumping from one rock to another now required very little physical effort on Yixing’s part. Yixing could now understand what Shixun meant by letting your _qi_ do the work for you. It required a lot of mental effort on Yixing’s part though, because he struggled to be able to be aware of his _qi_ , and make it go where he wanted it to.

 

“That’s it, Yixing ge-ge!” Shixun said happily when they reached the bottom of the cliff. “You got it!”

 

Yixing looked up at the cliff he had just descended down. It was steep, and Yixing could hardly believe he had descended it not by proper path, but jumping from one rock to another. He looked at Shixun in gratitude. Shixun blushed prettily, smiling and ducking his head, his fingers holding onto the edge of Yixing’s sleeve.

 

Yixing looked into the distance. The path now cut through the base of the valley. Yixing could see the last of the exam applicants running in the distance, disappearing round a bend that curved around a mountain peak.

 

“We should catch up with them.”

 

“Let’s race, Yixing ge-ge! Let’s see who reaches them first!”

 

Shixun took off without waiting for Yixing’s reply, giving himself a head start over Yixing. Smiling, Yixing sent his _qi_ to his heels and took off in a burst of speed, managing to catch up with Shixun. Once Yixing drew side by side with Shixun, Shixun slowed down, choosing to match Yixing stride for stride instead of increasing speed so that he could win the race he himself had declared only moments before.

 

Before long, Yixing and Shixun had caught up the rest. Yixing noticed some of them were already panting heavily. The pace Kai had set was inhuman, impossible, Yixing now realised, if you did not use _qi_. This first phase was designed not only to test one’s physical capability and endurance, but also one’s ability to use _qi_. Now Yixing could use _qi_ , he realised he could tell who could use it, and who could not. Yixing realised that most of the applicants could. However, while some seemed adept at using it, there were some whom seemed to have poor control over it, or have a limited supply of it. Some applicants who seemed to have been doing well at first started falling away from the main host, lying or sitting down on the path in exhaustion.

 

Kai led them through valleys and up mountains, through barren stone and pine forests, down sheer cliffs, over bridges and mountain streams. The mountain scenery of Mount Shu whizzed past them, and they continued at this punishing pace all day. When the first started, the sun was just peeking up from the edge of the mountain ridges, and they continued to when it shone overhead, its relentless rays beating down on the applicants, to when the rays slanted down to west. Though they had started out trailing at the back of the group, as the day wore on, the applicants who were able to keep up became fewer and fewer, and Yixing and Shixun found themselves at the head of the line. As they drew even with Kai, he glanced over at them, looking impressed as he gave them a small nod of acknowledgement. Also at the start of the host was Yang Yang, the nice gentleman who had shown them to the tree houses on the day they had arrived. He smiled at Yixing and Shixun. Yixing could tell from the way that he moved, the way he breathed, that he had excellent control over his _qi_. He had probably been at the forefront with Kai right from the start.

 

It was when night had fallen and the stars shone brightly overhead, when Kai finally came to stop, at a forest beside a huge mountain lake. They were so far up the mountain now that the ground and the tops of the forest trees were blanketed in white powdery snow.

 

By this time, Yixing’s legs were stiff and sore, and his lungs and throat were burning. They had run all day without a moment of rest, a drink of water or a morsel of food. Even with using _qi_ , it was too much for Yixing. The instant Kai stopped, Yixing’s legs gave way under him. He collapsed on the soft snow, his muscles crying out in relief as he lay on his back, breathing heavily. On the other hand, Shixun was looking as fresh as he had in the morning, as if the day’s exertions were nothing more difficult than going on a leisurely stroll. Nevertheless, when Yixing collapsed on the snow, Shixun was quick to follow suit, laying next to Yixing, and putting his head on Yixing’s shoulder. Yixing knew he should probably disallow it, but he was too tired to do anything about it at the moment. Shixun patiently waited for Yixing’s ragged breathing to even out before he spoke.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, is this snow? I’ve read about it before!”

 

“I think so. I’ve never seen snow before either. I’ve only ever heard people talking about it.”

 

“It’s so interesting!”

 

Shixun sat up, and Yixing followed. Shixun’s face was shining with delight as he scooped up a handful of snow, ooh-ing and ahh-ing as he pushed and prodded at it with a finger. He held out the handful of snow to Yixing, so that Yixing could touch it too.

 

“Snow is so pretty. If we hadn’t left the East Sea, we would never have seen this. You know what, I think Yixing ge-ge is right to want to come to Mount Shu!”

 

As beautiful as snow was, Yixing had something more pressing he had to deal with. His throat was burning. Water. He needed water.  Looking around, he noticed that a long table laden with food had been set up on the shores of the lake, and the other contestants were already gathered round it. Several big barrels of water stood next to the table. Yixing got to his feet. Shixun quickly followed, abandoning his handful of snow. Yixing dusted the snow off Shixun’s hair and clothes for him, and they headed to the barrels of water.

 

Scooping up a big ladle full, he offered the water to Shixun first. Shixun only took one small mouthful, before he pushed the ladle back to Yixing. Yixing drank the water greedily. At that moment, nothing tasted better than the water flowing down his parched throat. The most expensive wines or the most exquisite teas could not compare to this. He scooped up another ladle full, and offered it to Shixun again. Shixun had only drank one mouthful. That was no way enough. Shixun should drink more. But Shixun shook his head. Holding on to the ladle too, he guided the ladle to Yixing’s lips instead.

 

“Yixing ge-ge should drink first. Yixing ge-ge is more thirsty than Shixun. Shixun can wait.”

 

Shixun insistently tipped the ladle so that the water flowed into Yixing’s mouth. Yixing drank gratefully. Shixun took over the ladle, and Yixing lost count of the number of ladles of water that Shixun fed to him before the burning in his throat subsided at last. Yixing took back the ladle, and it was Yixing’s turn to scoop water for Shixun to drink. Shixun drank happily, looking more pleased that Yixing was feeding him the water, rather than being really in the need to drink.

 

Someone cleared his throat loudly behind them. Yixing put down the ladle, and they both turned around to see who it was. A petite looking man with pretty features was smiling at them. He was in the white robes of Mount Shu. Yixing recognised him. The third son of Mount Shu, Bian Boxian.

 

“Not disturbing, am I?” asked Boxian, his eyes twinkling. “You know, there are plenty of ladles lying around. You didn’t have to keep letting each other drink first. You could have both taken a ladle each, and drank at the same time.”

 

“ _San shixiong_ ,” a familiar voice cut in. “Don’t tease them. Let them be.”

 

“Canlie _gongzi_!”

 

Shixun practically bounced up to the Mount Shu disciple, and Canlie basked in Shixun’s happiness at seeing him again.

 

“Yixing _xiongdi_ , Shixun _gongzi_ , congratulations on passing the first phase of the examinations.” Canlie was smiling at them both, and Yixing could see Canlie was genuinely happy for them. “Come and eat, you must be hungry.”

 

The long table was laden with big bamboo steamers filled with steamed buns, hard boiled eggs and steamed corn. Yixing and Shixun filled their bowls, or rather, Shixun merely held out his bowl to Yixing, asking without the words for Yixing to fill it for him. Smiling, Yixing selected two meat buns, a lotus paste bun, two hard boiled eggs and an ear of corn to put into Shixun’s bowl. He put the same into his own. Canlie accompanied them as they sat down at the foot of a huge pine tree at the edge of the forest, overlooking the lake. As they ate, Shixun happily recounted to Canlie everything that had happened to them since they separated from the Mount Shu disciple, from their tree house, to the hammocks, to different types of food that they had been served for breakfast, lunch and dinner over the past few days, to the bird eggs this morning that only Shixun saw, but did not get to show Yixing.

 

“But the best thing of all is snow! You’re so lucky to stay at Mount Shu, Canlie _gongzi_. Then you can ascend this peak anytime you want to see snow.”

 

“Is that so?” asked Canlie, and Shixun nodded vigorously. “I remember thinking the same thing, but about the sea, when I was at Yixing _xiongdi_ ’s village. I remembered thinking how lucky these villagers were, to be able to see the sea every day.”

 

At Canlie’s words, Yixing was suddenly hit by a wave of homesickness. In his mind’s eye, he clearly saw the rolling waves and the clear blue sky, the sunrise over the sea, and the setting sun he chased every day when sailing back to shore. The saltiness of the sea spray, the call of the sea gulls.

 

“Canlie _gongzi_ is right. The East Sea is really beautiful too. Like our little island, Yixing ge-ge. It was only us on the island. We used to eat lunch and swim in the sea there every day. The coral reefs there are beautiful, aren’t they Yixing ge-ge? I miss all my sea creature friends in the East Sea. I wonder if they miss Shixun too?”

 

Yixing missed his mother and his brothers too. He wondered if they were all right, if they had enough food to eat and enough money to spend.

 

“How are you finding the examinations so far?” asked Canlie. “I heard from _qi shidi_ that the both of you did really well.”

 

“The examination? Oh, the first phase was rather easy, wasn’t it Yixing ge-ge?”

 

“It was hard for me,” Yixing admitted.

 

“ _Qi shidi_ was impressed by you. In the morning, when you first started out, _qi shidi_ said it was clear that you didn’t know how to use inner strength. He thought you would drop out before mid-morning, but by mid-afternoon, when you and Shixun _gongzi_ caught up with him, he was impressed to see that you had somehow mastered the use of _qi_. He was impressed firstly by how quickly you had picked up the skill, and secondly by your level of inner strength, which was what had impressed me too, when I saw you fight against the bandits and the bear demon. I have never seen someone with your level of inner strength who didn’t have to cultivate it for at least fifty years or so. You have a lot of potential, Yixing _xiongdi_. You just need to train under the right teacher, and you will be a formidable martial artist.”

 

Yixing glanced at Shixun. Yixing knew he owed his high level of inner strength to Shixun having given him a breath of his _xianqi_. Shixun looked pleased. He was nodding away, wholeheartedly agreeing with Canlie’s assessment of Yixing.

 

“Yixing ge-ge is the best! Of course he would be a top martial artist in time to come.”

 

“ _Qi shidi_ was impressed by you too, Shixun _gongzi_. He said you had the best _qinggong_ among all the applicants. In fact, he said your _qinggong_ was probably better than his.”

 

“Of course Shixun is really good too!” Shixun stated seriously, causing both Yixing and Canlie to smile. Shixun was cute.

 

“How many applicants passed the first stage?”

 

“Eighty-seven, including the two of you.”

 

That was roughly three-quarters of the initial number of applicants.

 

After dinner was over, the Seven Sons of Mount Shu gathered all the applicants. They stood on a huge rock near the lake as they addressed the crowd.

 

“Congratulations to all present for passing the first phase of the Mount Shu entrance examinations,” said Jin Junmian, the Second Son of Mount Shu. “The second phase of the Mount Shu entrance examinations starts right now.”

 

A murmur ran through the crowd.

 

“The task of this stage would be to survive staying in this mountain forest for one night. Tomorrow, anyone who is in this forest, and still alive, would be considered to have passed the second stage. If you do not want to risk your life, you can choose to go down the mountain right now. In the middle of the night, should you choose to give up on taking the Mount Shu entrance examinations, feel free to leave the forest at any point of time and go down the mountain.”

 

Yixing looked into the forest. It looked foreboding because it was dark and silent, but other than that, it looked like an ordinary forest. Why would spending a night here be life-threatening? Yixing looked around, and he could tell from the faces and body language from the other applicants that they were wondering the same thing. Tension hung in the air again, just like it had this morning, before the start of the first phase. Yixing glanced at Shixun. He seemed completely relaxed and unconcerned.

 

Jin Junmian waited, but no one left. It seemed like every single applicant present was willing to take part in the second phase. Jin Junmian smiled at the crowd.

 

“We wish you the best of luck.”

 

With that, the Seven Sons of Mount Shu took to the air, their flight creating seven arcs in the sky like the seven colours of the rainbow.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I borrowed ideas from Hunter x Hunter
> 
> San shixiong = Third fellow disciple (elder), refering to Baekhyun  
> Qi shidi = Seventh fellow disciple (junior), refering to Kai  
> Qi = breath/air (in Chinese martial arts, this relates to the inner strength in one's body)  
> Qinggong = the branch of Chinese martial arts that relates to speed of movement and lightness of one's body as one runs/jumps/does somersaults etc


	7. Chapter 7

There were over eighty men standing on the bank of the lake, but despite the large crowd, it was so silent you could hear a pine cone drop.

 

Eventually, two companions bravely entered the snowy forest together.

 

Nothing happened. No cry of pain. No sudden death. The two men walked on, and everyone watched until the two men disappeared into the darkness.

 

Emboldened by the success of the two men, the other contestants slowly began entering the forest. Some by themselves, some in small groups of twos or threes. They entered in cautiously, their feet treading lightly, surveying their surroundings agitatedly, jumping at the slightest sounds.

 

Eventually, only Yixing and Shixun remained standing at the shores of the lake.

 

“Let’s go in,” said Yixing. Shixun nodded casually in response, like he didn’t care either way.

 

Like the other contestants, Yixing was tense, on high alert. It was dark. The snow glowed in the pale moonlight. Everywhere, it was just trees, the upper parts of the foliage laden in snow. The forest was enveloped in an eerie silence. Nothing could be heard except the crunch of snow underneath their boots.

 

Shixun slipped his hand into Yixing’s. Surprised at the sudden gesture, Yixing let go.

 

“But Yixing ge-ge, Shixun is scared of the dark!” Shixun mustered his most pitiful look as he reached for Yixing’s hand, clasping it firmly in his own once again.

 

Yixing could not help but remember how relaxed Shixun had been only moments ago. But now, all of a sudden, he was scared of the dark? By now, Yixing was beginning to realise what a good actor his cheeky little dragon was. Yixing unlinked his fingers from Shixun’s, letting Shixun’s hand fall from his grasp.

 

“Yixing ge-ge!” Shixun protested. His fingers sought Yixing again, but Yixing kept his hands out of reach.

 

Yixing had walked a few steps before he realised something was amiss. A sudden mist had settled, clouding the air around them. Along with the mist, there was a sudden chill, a steep drop in temperature. To his alarm, Yixing realised that Shixun was not walking beside him. Yixing turned around, and to his relief, he spotted Shixun squatting in the snow a few paces behind him, his hands on his knees and his head bowed, mist swirling around him. Yixing hurried back to him.

 

“Shixun.”

 

At the sound of his name, Shixun looked up. His eyes were brimming with tears. Yixing’s insides wrenched with guilt. Perhaps he had been too hard on Shixun. Giving in to the dragon, Yixing held out his hand. Immediately smiling through his tears, Shixun took the proffered hand and Yixing helped him to his feet. Hand in hand, they picked their way gingerly through the forest. By now, the mist was so thick they could barely see a few steps in front of them.

 

“Look, Yixing ge-ge. There’s a cave up ahead. Shall we seek shelter inside there for the night?”

 

Because of the mist and the darkness of the night, Yixing would not have noticed it if not for Shixun pointing it out, but there was indeed a dim opening on the side of the stony mountain.

 

“What if there are wild animals inside the cave?” Yixing’s father had always warned him of the dangers of venturing into unknown places in the wild.

 

“What if there are? What animal would be mightier than a dragon?”

 

Yixing smiled. Shixun was always so adorably clingy, sometimes Yixing forgot how powerful Shixun really was. The cave was dark, and Yixing could barely see in front of him, but the darkness did not seem to deter Shixun. He led the way confidently. The cave turned out to tunnel downwards. The air here, though still, was warm, and Yixing was at once grateful that they had decided to take shelter here. Shixun conjured up a lantern. Warm light flooded the cave. They were in a cosy hollow beneath the ground, a den of sorts.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, you must be tired. Let’s rest here for the night.”

 

Yixing sank down onto the floor of the cave. It felt good to sit down. Every muscle in his body was aching, screaming for relief. Shixun opted to sit in Yixing’s lap rather than on the cold stone floor of the cave. Yixing smiled, and hugged his dragon closer to him.

 

“I wonder what is so dangerous about this forest?”

 

“It’s probably nothing,” said Shixun airily. “Those stuck-up Mount Shu disciples just like to make a mountain out of a molehill, as if the world was full of dangers only they know how to battle.”

 

The flickering lamplight highlighted the fairness of his skin, the sculpt of his cheekbones, and the ridge of his nose. Shixun was beautiful, and Yixing had to swallow the lump in this throat. He was suddenly aware of how alone they were, cut off from the outside world in this little den. Shixun leaned closer to Yixing. His lips were almost touching Yixing’s, but not quite.

 

“Yixing ge-ge.” Shixun’s voice was dripping in allure. Shixun had called Yixing’s name many times before, but there was something different in his voice tonight, an edge that sent chills of anticipation up Yixing’s spine. There was an intent in Shixun’s eyes, and Yixing unconsciously leaned up, waiting for Shixun lips to meet his own.

 

Shixun pressed a light kiss on Yixing’s upper lip. A light, fluttering kiss, that was over too soon, that left Yixing wanting more. Shixun’s lips were drawing away. Flustered, Yixing sought to chase after them, but Shixun covered Yixing’s mouth with his fingers, tsk-ing at Yixing’s impatience.

 

“Relax, Yixing ge-ge. Let me take care of you tonight. You do not have to anything, except sit back and relax.”

 

Yixing’s face was covered in soft, fleeting kisses. Yixing reached out for Shixun, wanting to draw Shixun closer to him, but Shixun was faster. His fingers clasped around Yixing’s wrists, restraining Yixing’s movement. Yixing did not try to resist, and smirking, Shixun rewarded Yixing’s compliance with what he wanted- a kiss, full on the mouth. Shixun’s kiss was hot, smouldering.

 

The pressure of Shixun’s lips on his, pressing down and letting up whenever Yixing least expected it, and the proximity of Shixun himself, so close to Yixing, yet untouchable, for his hands were still in Shixun’s iron grip.

 

Want pooled inside Yixing, and Yixing could not help it, the evidence of his want hardening. He tried to shift his position subtlety, so that Shixun wouldn’t notice. But Shixun chose that exact moment to shift his position in Yixing’s lap. He sidled up closer to Yixing, and to Yixing’s mortification, his hard length was pressed right into Shixun’s open thigh.

 

Yixing could feel his cheeks heating up. Shixun laughed at him.

 

“There’s no need to be shy, Yixing ge-ge.”

 

To Yixing’s utter shock, Shixun let the tip of his finger rest on the base of Yixing’s clothed erection.

 

“You’re so big, Yixing ge-ge.”

 

His finger slid upwards, tracing the length of Yixing’s cock. His finger reached the tip, and stayed there, tracing circles on the top.

 

With a sudden burst of force, Yixing pushed Shixun off him. Taken unawares, Shixun was flung to the side, forced to use the palm of his hands to break his fall.

 

“Yixing ge-ge,” Shixun pouted, staring up at Yixing reproachfully through his lashes.

 

Sitting up, Shixun slid his thick fur coat off his shoulders. He pulled his down the edge of his beautiful silk robe, exposing his left shoulder. His pale milky skin, the shadow made by the dip of his collar bone, it was beyond alluring. Shixun moved towards Yixing again, all ready to climb back into Yixing’s lap, but he had to stop short. Yixing had unsheathed his sword, and the tip was pointing at the base of Shixun’s throat.

 

“You are not Shixun.”

 

Shixun laughed, a cold hollow laugh that echoed through the narrow confines of the cave.

 

“What do you mean? Of course I am Wu Shixun, third son of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. Don’t I look exactly like Wu Shixun? Sound exactly like him?”

 

“You don’t act like him. What you did just now, Shixun would never have done that.”

 

“Really? The two of you have never done it before?” The man who looked like Shixun laughed again, the sound of it mocking and high-pitched. “Awww, the two of you are just so cute. Honestly, I never would have thought. How do you do it then?”

 

“Do what?”

 

“Make the third son of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea so mesmerised with you that he follows you around like an obedient guard dog. We were all taking bets on how good you must be in bed. We drew lots to see which of us would be the lucky one to get you. I was so happy when I drew the marked stick. I never had much luck with gambling and I thought tonight was my lucky night. Why didn’t you just go along with it? You are obviously aroused, and my experience with men is that once they are, they can’t think straight anymore. Why are you such an exception? This is so disappointing.”

 

We? There were more of them? Bad. This was very bad.

 

“Where is Shixun?”

 

“The other demons are taking care of him. Of course, it won’t be easy to take down a dragon deity, but there are many of us. In any case, if things go badly, we have you as a hostage.”

 

“Other demons? You… … are a demon? And there are others?”

 

The demon laughed again. “Of course. Couldn’t you tell? The whole forest is full of demons.”

 

Yixing thought back on how Shixun kept wanting to hold his hand when they first entered the forest. He must have been able to sense the demons. He had wanted to hold Yixing’s hand, not because he was afraid of the dark, but because he wanted to keep Yixing close, to protect him. Yixing inwardly chastised himself. If only he had held Shixun’s hand, they wouldn’t have gotten separated in the mist.

 

“What kind of demon are you?”

 

“A fox demon, of course. Isn’t that obvious?” The demon smiled, and three luxuriant white fox tails appeared behind it. The demon waved them in the air teasingly at Yixing.

 

“I was minding my own business you know, living among the humans in that quaint little town, doing what a fox demon does, sucking out _yang qi_ from this nice little scholar every few days. All in all, I think I gained at least the equivalent of 50 years of cultivation from that delicious little scholar, but that irritating Mount Shu disciple, Du Jingxiu, had to come along and expose me for who I am. We fought, and I lost. I thought he was going to destroy my soul, but he just trapped me in a gourd and released me in this forest, for this stupid Mount Shu examination.”

 

The fox demon sighed dramatically.

 

“I had hoped to enjoy a night with you before sucking all your _yang qi_ out from you. But I guess now we would have to skip straight to sucking out your _yang qi_ part. It’s too bad, but life’s like this, you know, full of disappointments. We just have to live with it.”

 

The fox demon smiled seductively, before he suddenly leapt through the air, teeth bared. Yixing was prepared for it. Yixing sent a burst of _qi_ to his feet, and leapt through the air too. Another burst of _qi_ to his arm, and his sword met with the fox demon’s claws mid-air. They both landed in opposite sides of the fox den, circling each other, sizing each other up.

 

“You have some skill with the sword, I see. Not just a pretty face after all.”

 

The fox demon leapt again, palm aimed directly at Yixing’s heart. Yixing dodged to the side. The fox demon landed in front of Yixing, his foot stepping down where Yixing’s foot was only moments before, but Yixing had moved one step back. At the same time, Yixing’s sword swept in a horizontal circular arc. In an elegant flurry of robes, the fox demon bent backwards, his back ninety degrees to the ground as he dodged Yixing’s blade. When the fox demon straightened up, his claws were already simultaneously slashing downwards at Yixing. But Yixing somersaulted out of the way, the base of his foot colliding with the demon’s jaw. Yixing had enhanced the blow with _qi_ , and the fox demon was flung across the cave.

 

The fox demon glared at Yixing, hate in his eyes, all hints of flirtatiousness gone now. The fox demon leapt at Yixing again. In mid-leap, he transformed, and it was a white three-tailed fox that charged towards Yixing. Yixing dodged, but wasn’t in time. The demon’s claws grazed his arm, cutting through the cloth and drawing blood. But Yixing took advantage of the demon’s close proximity to score a decisive hit too. Yixing’s sword sliced through the fox’s flank, cutting through flesh and exposing bone.

 

“The _Qing Gang_ Sword.” The fox spat out a mouthful of blood. “That wretched dragon actually gave you the _Qing Gang_ Sword. Does he not know that you are only a human?”

 

Yixing looked down at the sword in his hand. When Shixun had given it to him, it had been with a casual “Yixing ge-ge, this sword is for you!”. Yixing had no idea how to appraise the value of swords, and he had just accepted it without question.  

 

The fox demon was limping, favouring its injured side. Yixing took to the air again, sword pointing forward, aimed at the fox demon’s injured side, his most vulnerable point. The fox demon was expecting this. It was only logical for an opponent to attack the most convenient opening. The fox demon’s claws and jaws were there, in perfect position to strike, but what the demon did not expect was Yixing to suddenly change the trajectory of his attack. His initial attack had only been a feint. Yixing’s blade pierced into the underbelly of the fox demon. The demon’s cry of pain echoed throughout the entire cave.

 

Yixing’s next blow would have decapitated the fox demon, but fox demon cried out, “Mercy! Please.”

 

Yixing lowered his sword.

 

The three-tailed fox demon stared up at Yixing, the incredulity on its face evident. It was obvious that it had not really expected Yixing to stay his blade.

 

“I will let you off this time, but you have to promise that you will never feed off the _yang qi_ of humans again. If it is cultivation in The Way that you seek, do it the proper way, through your own hard work and meditation.”

 

“I promise, _daxia._ I have learnt my lesson and would never prey on a single human being ever again. Thank you for sparing my life. You are a true hero, kind and merciful.”

 

The fox demon prostrated himself before Yixing, but Yixing had other things on his mind.

 

Shixun. He had to get to Shixun.

 

Turning his back on the fox demon, Yixing quickly put on his discarded fur coat and slipped out of the cave, back into the cold forest. All around Yixing were white, snow covered pine trees. Not a human being in sight.

 

“Shixun!”

 

Yixing’s cry was swallowed up by the silent forest. Yixing ran blindly through the forest, calling Shixun’s name. But the forest was huge and empty, and there was no reply. The fox demon’s words kept replaying in Yixing’s head. _The other demons are taking care of him… … Taking down a dragon deity would not be easy, but there are many of us… …_ Yixing’s heart clenched uncomfortably as he remembered how Shixun had been covered in injuries when they had first met, the deep red gashes that marred the perfect silvery scales, the fear and fatigue that had been in his eyes then… …

 

Yixing halted, straining his ears. It was faint, but he could hear vague sounds of battle in the distance. The sound of blows being exchanged, of ringing steel.  With a burst of _qi_ , Yixing took to the trees. The springy boughs of the pine trees served as launching pads, and Yixing leapt in quick succession from one branch to another, showers of snow falling to ground beneath his feet with every step, until he burst through the tree cover into an empty clearing, just in time to see a snow leopard sprinting across the clearing, pouncing onto a young man and bowling him over. Strong jaws clamped down in the direction of the young man’s throat, but the young man saved himself by using his sword to intercept the teeth. Snow leopard and man were caught in a deadlock.

 

Yixing landed lightly next to young man. He swung his sword forward, right into the snow leopard’s face, forcing the snow leopard to release his jaw from the man’s sword and back away. Clutching his side, the young man got to his feet. It was Yang Yang.

 

“Two against one?” asked the snow leopard demon mockingly, pacing to and fro as it stalked them. “Fine. Bring it on.”

 

Yixing and Yang Yang both held their weapons aloft, in ready stance. The snow leopard demon charged. A burst of _qi_ to his right foot, and Yixing soared in the air, sailing above the leopard’s open jaws, the sharp teeth snapping the air harmlessly just inches below his body. Yixing flipped in mid-air. Another burst of _qi_ to his right arm, and his sword pierced into the back of the snow leopard. As Yixing continued his somersault, his sword slid out of the snow leopard’s hide, drawing blood. Yixing’s somersault ended and he landed on the safety of a pine tree bough, the springy branch bending under the weight of the movement, sending a spray of snow flying to the ground. Blood dripped down the tip of his blade.

 

Meanwhile, Yang Yang was engaged in a close-quarters fight with the leopard. Yang Yang alternated between attack and defence well. Supported by good footwork, he dodged the claws and teeth of the snow leopard by slanting his upper body to the left or right, or sometimes bending forwards or backwards in sweeping arcs with his whole upper body. Even as he dodged, he did not stop in his attacks, his sword strokes forcing the snow leopard to have to dodge as well.

 

Yixing leapt lightly off the tree branch, entering the fray with a forward sword thrust. The snow leopard tried to dodge, but Yixing was too quick for it. Yixing’s blade drew blood again, his sword slicing an open wound across the snow leopard’s side. Yang Yang chose this moment to attack again, taking a risk to step in between the front paws of the leopard so that his sword could reach the snow leopard’s throat. The risk did not pay off. With a might swipe, the snow leopard flipped Yang Yang over and pinned him down to ground, his paw clamped down on Yang Yang’s throat.

 

“The _Qing Gang_ Sword,” said the snow leopard coldly, looking straight at Yixing. “Drop it, or he dies.”

 

Yixing was left with no choice. He stabbed the sword vertically downwards into the snow at his feet.

 

“Back towards the edge of the clearing.”

 

Keeping his eye on the snow leopard, Yixing did as he was told.

 

“I have done what you asked. Now let Yang Yang _gongzi_ go.”

 

The snow leopard laughed. “Stupid, gullible human.”

 

Rearing its head, the snow leopard moved to strike, his powerful jaws stretched wide open as they descended upon Yang Yang’s throat.

 

Yixing did not think, he just moved. In a single surge, all the _xianqi_ in his body rushed to his feet. A push-off with his right foot, and Yixing was streaking across the clearing like a lightning bolt. As he passed by his sword, Yixing grabbed the hilt, pulling it out of the snow. Just before he reached the snow leopard, Yixing redirected his _qi_ to his arms. When his body came to a complete stop, his sword was pierced clean through the neck of the snow leopard, even as the snow leopard’s jaws were just a hair’s breath away from Yang Yang’s throat. The whole thing happened so fast that the snow leopard did not even have time to cry out in pain before it died.

 

The snow leopard thudded to the side. Yixing sank to one knee, leaning his weight on his sword, breathing heavily. Yang Yang got to his feet. He had been clutching his side before, but now, his injury was even more pronounced. He must have broken a few ribs. He held his left palm over his clenched right fist, and bowed deeply to Yixing.

 

“Thank you for saving my life.”

 

Yixing blinked, unsure of how to respond. He never had anyone indebted to him before, and didn’t know how to respond. He settled for putting his left palm over his own right fist and bowing back to Yang Yang too.

 

“Your sword… …”

 

Yang Yang’s voice trailed away, as he leaned closer to inspect Yixing’s sword. He held up his own sword too, comparing it with Yixing’s. Yang Yang’s sword was exquisite. The blade, thick and sharp, was covered in patterns of intricate carvings in the centre. The hilt of the sword was similarly elaborately decorated with intricate patterns, inlaid with precious stones. In comparison, Yixing’s sword was plain, a simple slim blade mounted on an unembellished hilt. The only unusual thing about Yixing’s sword was that when its blade reflected light, it had a faint bluish tinge.

 

“My sword was made by the finest craftsman in the capital. But despite that, the sword could not harm the snow leopard demon. It could not penetrate the layer of demonic aura the demon had cloaked itself in. But your sword, it sliced through the demon’s protective aura like it was nothing.”

 

Yixing had no explanation for Yang Yang. He himself had no idea what his sword was capable of, neither did he care at this point in time. There was only one thing on his mind.

 

“Shixun,” said Yixing urgently. “I need to find Shixun.”

 

Yang Yang nodded. “I’ll help you. Where did you last see him? How did you get separated?”

 

“It happened shortly after we entered the forest. There was a mist. I took my eyes off Shixun for a while, and… … and… …”

 

“I have heard of demons who have the ability to manipulate the elements. That mist must have been conjured by a demon. Perhaps we should go back to the place where you and Shixun _gongzi_ got separated. He may be waiting for you there.”

 

It was as good a plan as any. Yixing led the way as he retraced his steps, first back to the fox den, then to where they had first entered the forest, near the lake. There was no one there. Worry churned in Yixing’s stomach. Where could Shixun be?

 

“Look,” said Yang Yang. “There are signs of battle here.”

 

There was a mess of footprints in the snow. The forest around the footprints showed signs of damage, broken branches and rocks, scarred tree trunks. Yixing’s heart soared when he saw a whole and complete footprint in the snow that he was sure belonged to Shixun. It was the right size, and the print matched.

 

Following the trail of battle, they encountered the dead body of a demon, a six-eared macaque, lying in the snow. Despite knowing that this must have been a foe Shixun had fought against, Yixing could not help but feel a rush of pity for it. As they followed the trail, they encountered more dead demon bodies, and Yixing frowned at the stark evidence that Shixun had been on the receiving end of multiple attacks.

 

Finally, they heard sounds of on-going battle up ahead. Yixing broke into a sprint, Yang Yang close at his heels. They rounded a mountain cliff, and Yixing was beyond relieved to see Shixun at long last. Shixun was battling twenty demons at once. Even then, Yixing could not help but admire the absolute beauty that was Shixun. He fought with an effortless grace, making his martial arts seem almost like a dance. He had just slit the throat of a demon, but four more rushed at him simultaneously. Shixun took to the air, a spinning twirl of robes as he spun vertically upwards. A light snow began to fall, and snowflakes caught on his fur coat, and in his hair. Below him, unable to stop the momentum of their attack, the four demons collided into one another.

 

“Shixun.”

 

At the sound of his voice, Shixun looked over, making eye contact with Yixing over the crowd of demons that were swarming towards him. Shixun’s entire face brightened.

 

“Yixing ge-ge!”

 

Shixun flew to where Yixing was, stepping on the shoulders of demons that separated them, as if they were stepping stones. The demons tried to intercept him, but Shixun’s _qinggong_ was far too superior, and he stepped out of reach easily. Shixun flew through the falling snow straight into Yixing’s open arms. A sense of warmth and relief flooded Yixing as he held Shixun in his arms. The momentum of Shixun’s movement towards Yixing made it impossible for Shixun to stop even when he had reached Yixing’s arms, and Yixing found himself spinning Shixun around in a stationary circle, before the two of them came to a complete stop.

 

“Yixing ge-ge!” Shixun’s voice was choked. Alarmed, Yixing quickly held his dragon’s face in his hands, and true enough, Shixun was crying. Yixing was quick to wipe the tears away.

 

“Shixun was so worried about Yixing ge-ge! I wanted to go find Yixing ge-ge, but all these demons kept attacking Shixun, and Shixun couldn’t go look for you with all of them in the way… …”

 

Yixing pushed Shixun behind him, narrowly protecting Shixun from being hit by a demon. The first of the demons that had been chasing Shixun had reached them. Yixing drew the _Qing Gang_ Sword out of its scabbard to answer the attacks.

 

They were vastly outnumbered by the demons, but Yixing and Shixun fought well together. The fact they were using the same _jianfa_ allowed them to anticipate each other’s moves, and complement each other perfectly by giving each other space to manoeuvre, to maximise the effect of each other’s strokes by following up with a matching counter-stroke. Yang Yang fought alongside them too, his fighting style brave and decisive.

 

“Stop.”

 

Yixing stayed his hand. His sword was poised at a demon’s throat.

 

“Dawn has broken. The second phase of the Mount Shu entrance examinations is over.”

 

The voice belonged to Jin Junmian. The voice sounded like it was coming from far away. Jin Junmian was not shouting, or even raising his voice, yet his soft voice could be clearly heard throughout the forest. Yixing knew it was a mark of great inner strength, to be able to project one’s voice over such a distance.

 

The demons that they were fighting with prostrated themselves before Shixun. Out of the twenty of them there were initially when Yixing and Yang Yang had joined in the fray, there were now only four of them left.

 

“O mighty one,” said one of them, a hyena demon, to Shixun. “We were foolish to challenge you. Now the examination is over, you have passed, and there is no reason for you to fight us anymore. Please, let us go.”

 

Shixun looked at Yixing.

 

“Shixun, let them go,” said Yixing gently, overcome with pity for the demons. “As long as they promise not to harm human beings again.”

 

The demons were quick to murmur promises of acquiescence.

 

“All right, then. But I’m only letting you off because of Yixing ge-ge! All of you had better be grateful to him.”

 

Together with Yang Yang, Yixing and Shixun walked through the forest, following the direction from which Jin Junmian’s voice had been coming from. Along the way, Shixun spoke about what happened when he got separated from Yixing.

 

“I saw the mist gathering around, and I wanted to insist on holding Yixing ge-ge’s hand, but then, I saw my oldest brother walking out of the mist!”

 

“Yifan?”

 

“Yes! He said he was angry that Shixun had left home without permission, and he said he wanted to kill Yixing ge-ge because you were the reason I left home. Of course I said I won’t allow him to, and we fought. Shixun was so scared, Yixing ge-ge, because I know my level of skill is far, far below than that of my oldest brother, but then, I defeated him in less than twenty strokes. He wasn’t my brother at all, but a six-eared macaque demon who could shape-shift. The other demons attacked me after that, all at once, one after another. Shixun was so worried about Yixing ge-ge, but thank goodness Yixing ge-ge came to find me on your own. Yixing ge-ge fights so well with _qi_ now. Yixing ge-ge is such a fast-learner!”

 

“I had help from Yang Yang _gongzi_.” Yixing gave Yang Yang a nod, which Yang Yang returned.

 

“Shixun _gongzi_ is right. When you registered for the Mount Shu examinations, it was obvious from the way you moved and breathed that you were not a _qi_ user. But now, consider me impressed.”

 

Shixun beamed at Yang Yang at that, seeming to take a sudden liking to him when he had been ambivalent towards him before.

 

When Yang Yang, Shixun and Yixing stepped out of the edge of the forest onto the shores of the lake once again, they found a crowd of people already waiting there, but it was considerably lesser in size than the crowd that had been standing on this very same place only the night before. The Seven Sons of Mount Shu were waiting there.

 

“Congratulations to all present,” said Jin Junmian. “The forty-two of you have passed the second phase of the Mount Shu entrance examinations.”

 

By this time, Yixing was so tired that he could barely stand upright. As if sensing this, Shixun slipped a hand into Yixing’s. This time, Yixing did not prevent it. Shixun’s touch was warm and comforting, giving Yixing a strength that he did not know he had. A strength to carry on, a strength that could face all odds.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yang qi = positive qi, or energy, that is associated with males (the opposite would be yin energy, associated with females)  
> Qing Gang Sword = Blue Steel Sword
> 
> I borrowed the Qing Gang Sword from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In the story, Cao Cao, a warlord, had two precious swords, the Yi Tian Sword (the Sword Supported by the Heavens) and the Qing Gang Sword (the Blue Steel Sword). He carried the Yi Tian Sword himself, but gave the Qing Gang Sword to his trusted general Xiahou En. In the battle of Changban Slope, Zhao Zilong, a general under rival warlord Liu Bei, fights Xiahou En, and manages to take the Qing Gang Sword from him. Zhao Zilong proceeds to use the Qing Gang Sword to fight his way single-handedly out of the throngs of Cao Cao's soldiers that were surrounding him, with Liu Bei's infant son strapped to his chest. He breaks out of the siege and successfully delivers the baby boy to Liu Bei. Just a fun anecdote on the background story to the Qing Gang Sword, unrelated to this fic :)
> 
> In Chinese folklore, fox demons are reputed for being able to seduce men.


	8. Chapter 8

Yixing had never been so relieved in his life when Jin Junmian announced a break in the examinations. Rest was something that Yixing badly needed. They had had the first and second phases of the examinations back to back, one full day and one full night of non-stop action, and Yixing was close to falling asleep right where he was standing.

 

Yixing let Shixun lead the way to tents that had been erected for the exam applicants on the shores of the lake. Warm furs lined the floor of the tent, and Yixing collapsed face first into them, vaguely aware of Shixun taking off his clothes for him and wiping him down with a warm wet cloth.

 

When Yixing woke, his back was stiff and his limbs were heavy. Despite this, he felt warm and cozy. He was burrowed in a pile of furs, only the top half of his face sticking out from underneath, his nose buried in the fluffy edge of the fur blanket, and his cheek pillowed on Shixun’s chest. Shixun was already awake, probably had been for some time, judging from the way he was languidly stroking Yixing’s hair.

 

Yixing propped himself up, so that he could properly look at Shixun.

 

“Yixing ge-ge is awake!”

 

Shixun was smiling happily at Yixing. As he leaned down to kiss Shixun, Yixing couldn’t help thinking that this was possibly the best way to ever wake up.

 

“How long was I asleep?”

 

“The whole day. It’s evening now. Yixing ge-ge was really tired.”

 

The whole day? A mild panic rose within Yixing. He had never spent an entire day sleeping before. What waste of time! His thoughts flew to all the chores that he should have done, only to realise there were none.

 

A rumbling from Shixun’s tummy brought Yixing’s attention back to his dragon. Shixun looked embarrassed, his expression was a cute mix of sheepishness and petulant pouting.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, I’m hungry… ….”

 

Smiling, Yixing leaned up to comfort his whiny dragon with another kiss.

 

“So am I. Let’s get something to eat. Did you not eat the whole day? Breakfast? Or lunch?”

 

“No. Yixing ge-ge was sleeping.”

 

“You could have left me to sleep inside the tent, while you go get something to eat.”

 

Shixun shook his head vigorously at that.

 

“I wanted to sleep with Yixing ge-ge. Holding Yixing ge-ge while Yixing ge-ge sleeps is one of Shixun’s favourite things to do.”

 

“Is it?” asked Yixing, amused as Shixun nodded earnestly. “What are your other favourite things to do?”

 

Shixun considered this seriously.

 

“Kissing Yixing ge-ge! That is Shixun’s absolute favourite thing to do. But Shixun also likes holding Yixing ge-ge’s hand, and hugging Yixing ge-ge, and putting my head on Yixing ge-ge’s shoulder, and… ….”

 

Yixing knew he probably shouldn’t cut Shixun off mid-sentence, but his dragon was too adorable not to kiss right away. The kiss was sweet but Yixing broke it off when Shixun’s stomach rumbled again. It was a mark of how hungry Shixun must be, because he didn’t protest when Yixing pulled away. Not even a teeny little pout. Yixing pushed the heavy furs off them, and helped Shixun to his feet. He noticed that he was wearing a fresh set of clothes. Shixun must have changed them for him while he slept. He put on his thick fur coat, and helped Shixun into his. Holding Shixun’s hand, they stepped out of their tent.

 

The sun was just setting over the mountain range, and it was a beautiful sight to behold. Splashes of gold and pink painted the sky, a backdrop to the snow-capped mountain range that sprawled beneath their feet as far as their eyes could see. The mountain air was so cold that puffs of miniature clouds hung in the air when they breathed or talked. Despite this, Yixing was warm, partly because of his snug fur coat and partly because of the warmth radiating out of the palm of Shixun’s hand, where it was clasped against his own.

 

They found the other contestants sitting around a camp fire, where there was porridge boiling in a pot, and rabbits roasting over a fire. Yang Yang was there too, and he readily made space for Yixing and Shixun. Yixing got bowls of porridge and strips of roasted rabbit meat for Shixun and himself. As they ate, Yang Yang told them more about himself. He came from a family of generals, one of the most prestigious and powerful families in the capital. His family is famous enough, for even Yixing to have heard about. Known amongst commoners as the Yang Family Army, they guarded the country’s southern borders. One of Yixing’s happiest childhood memories was when a storyteller came to his village. Armed with a bamboo folded fan, the storyteller would set himself up with a rattan chair and a pot of tea right in the centre of the evening market, and Yixing’s father would give him an evening off from helping out at the fish stall so that Yixing could go listen to the stories. He would also give Yixing a copper coin to give the storyteller after the story was over. The Yang Family Army was only second in size to Piao Family Army, which guarded the northern borders, so many of the stories Yixing had heard of when he was young had been about the exploits and victories of the Yang Family Army and the Piao Family Army. To Yixing’s surprise, Yang Yang informed them that Canlie came from the Piao Family Army.

 

“You didn’t know this?” asked Yang Yang, sounding surprised. “I had assumed you would have known, since the two of you seem quite close to Canlie _daxia_.”

 

“I come from a small fishing village,” Yixing admitted. “We don’t really know much about the outside world.”

 

“Piao Canlie is one of the three Seven Sons of Mount Shu to come from aristocracy,” explained Yang Yang. “Another one is Jin Minxi, but unlike Piao Canlie who comes from a warrior family, he comes from a family of scholars. His father is a first-grade official, and his uncle is the Prime Minister, only second to the emperor. The last of the three aristocrats is Du Jingxiu. He comes one of the major clans in the capital. His family is important because the Empress comes from that family. The three aristocrats were sent to Mount Shu at a young age, when they were only children. The rest of the Seven Sons of Mount Shu are commoners. Jin Junmian, Jin Zhongda and and Bian Boxian were orphans, adopted and raised by Mount Shu since they were babies. Last of all, there’s Jin Zhongren. Despite the similarity in their names, he’s not related to Jin Zhongda at all. He comes from a middle class pugilistic family. He joined Mount Shu after passing the Mount Shu entrance examinations two years ago.”

 

“When the Seven Sons of Mount Shu are together, Jin Junmian seems to be the one who is in charge… …”

 

“Yes, people say that he’s the most outstanding of the Mount Shu disciples, and that he’s being groomed to be the next sect leader of Mount Shu.”

 

While Yixing found information about the background of the Seven Sons of Mount Shu fascinating, it was clear that Shixun was bored, and also a little jealous that Yixing’s attention wasn’t completely on him. In an attempt to draw Yixing’s attention back on him, he tugged at Yixing’s sleeve and nudged his empty porridge bowl into Yixing’s hands. Smiling, Yixing went to refill the bowl with porridge. When he came back with the full porridge bowl, Yixing showered Shixun with his full attention, much to Shixun’s delight.

 

That night, when it was only the two of them back in their tent, Yixing asked Shixun, “Do you think it’s odd, that it’s Jin Junmian who’s being groomed to be the next leader of Mount Shu?”

 

“Why not? Yang Yang _gongzi_ says that he’s the most outstanding out of the Seven Sons.”

 

“But he’s a commoner, not of noble birth, and there are other Sons of Mount Shu who are aristocrats.”

 

Shixun cocked his head to the side, as he always did when he didn’t understand something.

 

“Why would that matter?” he asked, genuinely curious.

 

Yixing did not know how to answer Shixun. His whole life, he had always been taught to know his place in society, and his place was at the bottom rung of the social ladder, while aristocrats were at the top.

 

The next morning, they gathered round as Jin Junmian, with the other Sons of Mount Shu flanking him, announced the task for the third phase of the Mount Shu examinations.

 

“For this phase of the Mount Shu examinations, you are to get the egg of the Spider Eagle. The Spider Eagle makes its nest at the top of that mountain cliff.”

 

Jin Junmain pointed to the peak of the neighbouring mountain.

 

“This year, the Spider Eagle has laid only one egg.”

 

A murmur ran across the crowd at this. There were forty-two of them, but only one egg.

 

“The applicant that returns to the peak of Mount Shu with the Spider Eagle egg will be the Eighth Son of Mount Shu.”

 

It all ends here, Yixing realised. All the hard work so far would come to nothing if he were not the one to get the Spider Eagle egg.

 

“We will be assigning starting points for each of you at the foot of the mountain. Be rest assured that the distance from each starting point to the Spider Eagle peak is all the same. It just means that you all start from different points, so you are on your own.”

 

Shixun made a small sound of disbelief. Yixing turned to him, and his heart ached to see Shixun looking absolutely crestfallen.

 

Jin Junmian asked the applicants to come forward to draw lots. Yixing drew number 41, while Shixun drew number 19.

 

“Yixing _xiongdi_. Shixun _gongzi_.”

 

Yixing turned to see Canlie approaching them. Yixing smiled at Canlie, happy to see him again, but a pouty Shixun immediately accosted the Mount Shu disciple.  

 

“My number is so far from Yixing ge-ge’s! Canlie _gongzi_ , can you change my number?”

 

Canlie looked uncomfortable, so Yixing spared him the need to reject Shixun.

 

“Shixun,” said Yixing, a gentle admonishment.

 

Heeding Yixing, Shixun immediately backed down, though he continued to look pouty, hanging his head unhappily while standing so close to Yixing that their shoulders were touching.

 

“Congratulations on passing the second phase, Yixing _xiongdi_ , Shixun _gongzi_. I knew you could do it.”

 

“Thank you, Canlie _daxia_ , for everything. If not for you, I won’t be here.”

 

Yixing meant every word. His depth of gratitude to the Mount Shu disciple could not be expressed in words, but when his eyes met with Canlie’s, he could sense that no thanks were needed.

 

“Good luck for the last phase. I have faith in you.”

 

Canlie smiled at Yixing, and Yixing smiled back.

 

A tug on Yixing’s sleeve drew his attention back to Shixun. Shixun’s pout was even more pronounced now. Unable to bear the downcast look on Shixun’s face, Yixing said, “We’ll look for each other once the examination starts. After we find each other, we can go find the Spider Eagle egg together.”

 

Shixun brightened, and Yixing tweaked his nose.

 

The forty-two applications were divided into seven groups according to their allotted numbers. Each Son of Mount Shu led a group of six applicants to their starting points. Shixun was assigned to follow Chen’s group, with the rest of the applicants numbered 19-24. Though Shixun looked visibly upset, he left obediently, trailing behind Chen and turning back repeatedly to look at Yixing. Yixing was assigned to follow Kai’s group, with the applicants numbered 37-42. Yixing was pleasantly surprised to see Yang Yang in his group as well.

 

“What’s your number?” asked Yixing.

 

“Forty-two,” smiled Yang Yang. “We’ll be near to each other.”

 

Kai led the group at his usual fast pace, which Yixing had no problem keeping up with this time. Kai led them down the peak, and to the base of the neighbouring mountain, leaping easily from stone to tree, from snow-covered ground to branch, as he led them through snowy mountain passes and down sheer rocky cliffs. He led them to the south side of the neighbouring peak. He dropped them off one by one at various spots at the base of the mountain. The distance from each stop was so far apart that they could not see the other applicants. When an applicant was left behind, he was completely alone.

 

“You can set off when the noon day sun shines overhead,” Kai said. “All the best.”

 

With that, he left Yixing, bringing Yang Yang with him. Yixing was left standing alone in an empty plain made up of flat, barren rocks, next to a single flag staked into a crack in the rocks that read “forty-one”. The mountain loomed before him, towering towards the sky. Judging from the position of the sun in the sky, noon was an hour away. Yixing paced back and forth as he waited for time to pass. Based on the position of the sun, Yixing was at the south side of the mountain. Shixun was probably at the north side, directly opposite from Yixing. Yixing looked at the peak of the mountain. It was high, probably a few days’ worth of sheer climbing was needed to reach the peak, even with the use of _qi_.

 

The instant the noon day sun shone overhead, Yixing set off. The image of a crestfallen Shixun pining for him imprinted in his mind, Yixing sent his _qi_ to his heels and forced himself to move at as fast a pace as he could manage. Yixing hoped that Shixun would stay at his starting point and wait for him. If not, perhaps they would meet on their respective ways to find each other.

 

“Yixing _xiongdi_!”

 

Yixing was so focused on finding Shixun that it took several times before he heard his name being called. Stopping in his heels, he turned around to see Yang Yang coming towards him, leaping from one snow-covered rock to another up the slope of the mountain with his superior _qinggong_.

 

“Yang Yang _gongzi._ ”

 

“Let’s travel together? It’s better to have company on the way up, so that we can look out for each other.”

 

Yixing nodded, agreeing to Yang Yang’s suggestion. “I have to go look for Shixun first though.”

 

“Of course. I’ll go with you.”

 

“You don’t mind the time wasted?”

 

“You saved my life. A little time spent helping you is nothing.”

 

Yixing smiled and ducked his head, not sure how to answer. Instead he opted for continuing on his way wordlessly. Yang Yang matched him stride for stride, his feet light and his movements elegant. Yixing inwardly marvelled at how controlled his mastery over his _qinggong_ was.

 

As a fisherman, Yixing was adept at using the position of the sun to navigate. At the lower slopes of the mountain, no snow covered the ground. Instead the slopes were covered with rocks and sparse vegetation. Up above them, the slopes of the mountain were covered in pine forests, before the trees thinned out to reveal the snow-covered slopes. Long rows of floating clouds hung in the sky mid-way up the mountain. Yang Yang and Yixing passed by numerous mountain streams too, their waters clear and sparkling, formed from melted ice and snow. Yixing and Yang Yang stopped at these streams to drink water and rest their legs, before taking off again. It was an entire afternoon of intense travelling, and it was only when the sun was setting that they reached the other side of the mountain.

 

“Look, Yixing _xiongdi_. There’s a flag over there.”

 

Looking at the direction where Yang Yang’s finger was pointing at, Yixing did indeed notice a fluttering flag sticking out from in between some rocks piled next a gurgling mountain spring. Yixing knelt down next to the flag. It read “19”, Shixun’s number. But Shixun himself was nowhere to be seen. All around, it was still and silent. Yixing’s heart sank. He was standing right at the spot where Shixun had been standing only hours before. But now, Shixun was long gone.

 

“We’ll find Shixun _gongzi_ soon,” said Yang Yang comfortingly. “He’ll be on his way up to the peak too, where the Spider Eagle egg is. If we head in that direction, we might meet him along the way.”

 

Yixing nodded, knowing that there was nothing else to be done. They spent the night out in the open, building a fire and curling up close to it for warmth. Yixing caught a fish from a mountain stream and roasted it over the fire for himself and Yang Yang. It was a species of fish that Yixing did not know, but it tasted good nevertheless, the taste lighter than that of ocean fish. It felt lonely, sleeping without Shixun. Without knowing it, Yixing had gotten use to falling asleep with the dragon curled up next to him.

 

The next morning, Yang Yang caught a mountain hare and they roasted that for breakfast. As they ate, Yixing wondered about Shixun, if he had eaten, and if he had slept well. After breakfast, they started up the mountain, and into the pine forest. Using their _qi_ , they wove themselves in between the trees, passing under deeply fissured branches, mossy trunks, and springy green pine needles at a fast pace, skirting past the occasional squirrel or bird.

 

They were travelling at a smooth and steady pace when Yixing’s knees buckled from underneath him. Yang Yang was quick to support Yixing, holding Yixing around the waist, and leaning Yixing’s weight onto his own.  

 

“You’re pushing yourself too hard, Yixing _xiongdi_. I know you are anxious to find Shixun _gongzi_ , but you need to take care of yourself as well. What good would it do to anyone if you collapse here in the middle of the exam?”

 

Yixing allowed Yang Yang to support him to a fallen log, grateful to sit down upon it for a while to rest his legs.

 

“I’m fine,” said Yixing after a short while. “We should get going. Shixun –“

 

“Will be upset if he could see you right now. He would not want you to push yourself over your limit.”

 

Acknowledging the truth in Yang Yang’s words, Yixing sat back down on the log.

 

“Something smells sweet. Do you smell it?” Yang Yang asked after a while.

 

Yixing nodded. He smelled it too. A sweet scent permeating the air. It had probably been there all this time, just that he had been too tired and preoccupied to notice it.

 

“I think it might be the sap of the Healing Cedar tree.”

 

Yixing looked at Yang Yang, no idea as to what he was talking about.

 

“The sap of the Healing Cedar tree has restorative properties. Smelling it will invigorate you, help you to recover your stamina for a while.”

 

That was certainly something Yixing needed badly right now.

 

“Shall we go look for that tree? Judging from the smell, it must be nearby. You just need to sit underneath that tree for the time span it takes an incense stick takes to burn, and you’ll have energy to last you the whole day.”

 

Yixing nodded, and allowed Yang Yang to support his arm as they walked in the direction of the fragrance. Soon, they spotted a tree. It was huge, towering over all the other trees. Its branches were wide-spreading, thick with snow-laden foliage. Its trunk was so wide in girth, that it would probably require five men spreading their arms to circle around the tree once. The trunk was not smooth, but instead inlaid with deep grooves and ridges. Rivulets of thick pink sap oozed slowly out of the grooves in the trunk, the thick viscous liquid flowing slowly down the trunk before hardening into ridges further down the trunk.

 

Yang Yang deposited Yixing at the base of the tree trunk. Yixing took in a deep breath. Up close, the fragrance was strong, overpowering, dowsing Yixing’s senses completely, filling up his entire being. Trying to clear his head, Yixing tried to take in a breath of fresh air, but it was no use. He only succeeded in filling his lungs with the overpowering sweet scent of the tree sap. This was no good. The scent was choking him. He needed to get away from the tree for a while. He needed to breathe good, clean air again. He tried to get to his feet, but it was a slow process, laborious. His limbs felt like they were weighed down with lead. He took a tentative step, but his knees gave way from underneath him. He was back flat on the snow at the base of the tree. He tried to get up once more, but this time, he couldn’t even lift a finger.

 

“Are you tired, Yixing _xiongdi_? If you are tired, feel free to sleep here for as long as you like. In fact, it will be quite alright if you slept here forever.”

 

Yixing tried to focus, but Yang Yang’s voice sounded like it was coming from very far away, like he was underwater, and Yang Yang was speaking to him from above the surface. Yixing blinked, and with effort, forced himself to sit up. Yang Yang was standing a distance away, on the branches of a large tree at the far edge of Yixing’s line of sight. He had tied a handkerchief around the lower half of his face, only exposing his eyes, protecting his nose and mouth from the poisonous fragrance.

 

“What… … what tree is this?”

 

Yang Yang laughed. “You’re quite right, Yixing _xiongdi_ , though you figured it out too late. There is no such thing as a Healing Cedar Tree. This is the Illusion Tree. The scent of its sap is known to show people illusions of the past that they dread the most, until their minds are destroyed.”

 

 

“But… … why?”

 

“What do you mean, why?” Yang Yang’s voice was cold, dripping in ice. “Do you how much it means to me to be Eighth Son of Mount Shu? I made up my mind to be a Mount Shu disciple when I was three years old. Do you how much hard work I’ve put in, how much I have sacrificed to be here? My entire family objected to me taking part in the Mount Shu examination. They all want me to be an army general just like my father and my uncles. I risked everything to be here, but you! You just stumbled in. What are you, but a fisherman, a country bumpkin? You didn’t even know who the Seven Sons of Mount Shu were. You couldn’t even use _qi_ at first! What right do you have to be here?”

 

“You… you are doing this… because you think me as a threat?”

 

“You? A threat? Please. Don’t flatter yourself.” Yang Yang’s tone was scathing, his loathing for Yixing dripping off every word. Yixing swallowed. Yang Yang had always been so nice to him, the only other person of noble blood aside from Canlie and Shixun to have treated Yixing as an equal. He had thought that they were friends. Hadn’t he saved Yang Yang from the snow leopard demon? Why was Yang Yang repaying kindness with evil?

 

“I admit you picked up the use of _qi_ rather quickly, but it’s still ten years too early for you to become a threat to me. The one who’s the threat is Wu Shixun.”

 

Shixun. Of course this would be about Shixun.

 

“Did you know that I was the first candidate to register for the Mount Shu examinations this year? Even after I had completed my registration, I was at the registration table every day, watching the new candidates as they came in. All of them were mediocre. No one was of my calibre. I was so sure that the position of Eighth Son of Mount Shu was going to be mine. But then, just a few days before registration closed, you and Wu Shixun had to come flying in. Who are you, that you have Piao Canlie personally vouching for you? It’s so obvious that you are so ordinary, that you don’t amount to much. But Wu Shixun, his martial arts is just so outstanding. The way he figured out the art of sword-flying just by wanting Piao Canlie do it once. The way he breezed through the first phase of Mount Shu examinations. The way he fought all those demons in the forest. It’s obvious that his martial arts skills are probably superior to even that of the Seven Sons of Mount Shu. A skilled pugilist like him doesn’t need to learn martial arts from Mount Shu at all! The position of Eighth Son of Mount Shu is going to be his, but he doesn’t even want it. He’s only here because of you. If I can get rid of you, this means I can get rid of him too. If you cease to exist, he will lose all interest in the Mount Shu examinations. I’ve been trying to figure out how to dispose of you, and it’s a stroke of luck really, that we’ve encountered an Illusion Tree. Everyone will think you stumbled onto this tree on your own while on your way to the peak, and unknowingly fell into its trap. No one will know my involvement in this.”

 

Even as Yang Yang spoke, Yixing’s world was dimming around him. Yixing felt heavy, weighed down, as he spiralled down into darkness. He struggled against it, trying his best to stay awake, to hold on to his consciousness. Yang Yang’s words were like a lifeline, something to focus on, something to keep his mind from drifting, and as Yixing clung onto them, the cold words cut straight into his heart despite his detached mental state. All this time he had treated Yang Yang as a friend, but in fact, Yang Yang had been plotting how to kill him.

 

“Farewell, Yixing _xiongdi._ It has been nice knowing you.”

 

With that, silence descended. With not even Yang Yang’s voice to distract him, Yixing’s world spiralled down into darkness.

 

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. The wind lashed into Yixing like a whip. Yixing was drenched and shivering, soaked to the bone.

 

“Father!” Yixing cried out to the figure at the other end of the fishing boat, but his thin voice was lost in the howling wind.

 

A huge wave crashed upon their small fishing boat. Yixing’s entire world overturned. The floor of the fishing boat that used to be beneath the soles of his feet was now above his head. Yixing felt himself plummet head first through empty space, before his body hit the water.

 

Yixing sank beneath. He tried to breathe, and immediately choked. Water was all around, in his eyes, his nose, his mouth. He couldn’t see anything. He couldn’t breathe. He struggled. He wanted to swim to the water surface, but he had no idea which way was the right way up. He flailed around helplessly, randomly kicking around.

 

And then strong arms were holding on to him, pulling him. Yixing’s head surfaced. He gulped down huge mouthfuls of air, the air rushing down his windpipe the best feeling he felt in his life.

 

“Yixing,” said his father, his voice strong and calm, even amidst the storm. “It’s alright. Yixing, you are going to be fine. You will survive this. Here, hold on to this.”

 

Yixing found himself clinging onto a small piece of driftwood that his father pushed into his arms. It was round and smooth. It used to be part of the mast of their fishing boat, Yixing realised. The broken piece was small, only enough for one person to cling on to. Yixing’s father was treading water next to him. He was using his belt to tie Yixing’s upper arms to the driftwood.

 

Another huge wave came crashing down. Yixing was flung underneath the water again, but this time, the driftwood that Yixing was tied to brought him back to the surface almost immediately after. Yixing coughed out water. He looked around frantically. He could not see his father anywhere.

 

“Father!”

 

There no reply. Around him, the storm raged. Thunder and lightning ruled the skies. Rain and seawater splattered his face. Yixing was tossed around like a rag doll among the waves. His father was nowhere to be seen. 

 

“Father!” Yixing called out again and again.

 

But he was all alone, with the sky, the rain and the sea.

 

 _Please, let Father be all right_ , Yixing prayed over and over again. _If there’s any one above, any one listening, let my father be all right._ But deep down inside, Yixing already knew. His father couldn’t have survived. It was too much for a human being to endure.

 

He gave you the driftwood, Yixing couldn’t help thinking to himself. If he kept the driftwood for himself, he wouldn’t have died.

 

It’s your fault.

 

You shouldn’t have let him give you the driftwood. You were so selfish.

 

It’s your fault, that Mother is a widow. That Yihan and Yiyun have no father.

 

It’s your fault, that you survived.

 

It shouldn’t have been you. It should have been him.

 

Father… … Father… …. I’m calling for you… …. Please, answer me… …

 

“Yixing ge-ge!”

 

No, that’s not Father’s voice. Ignore that voice. Focus on finding Father… ….

 

“Yixing ge-ge!”

 

Yixing ge-ge? But wait, that was him. Who was calling him?

 

“Yixing ge-ge!”

 

That voice. It was familiar. It made Yixing recall something from the past. A small spark of a feeling. What was it? It felt warm… …

 

A face was looming over his own. The face of an exceedingly pretty boy… …

 

His dragon… … he tried to hold on to it but it was shrinking… … wait, not shrinking, but transforming… …

 

Kissed… … he was being kissed… …. His first kiss… …

 

_Yixing ge-ge! I’ll call you Yixing ge-ge from now onwards. Is that alright, Yixing ge-ge?_

 

Shixun!

 

The name came to Yixing like a thunderclap, a moment of bright clarity amid the darkness.

 

“Yixing ge-ge! Where are you?”

 

Shixun was looking for him. He had to let Shixun know he was here. If not Shixun would pass him by. Yixing tried to call out. He moved his lips, but no sound came out. His throat was dry. Calling out would require him to move his chest to take a breath, to project his voice, but it was too difficult. It would require too much strength, strength that Yixing did not have.

 

“Yixing ge-ge!”

 

The voice was softer now. Shixun was moving away.

 

With a force of strength, Yixing moved his fingers inside his robes, until he found his Xun. Slowly, with determination, he pulled out the egg-shaped musical instrument. With shaking hands, he brought the Xun into his lips, and blew.

 

A single note rang out, piercing the air, carrying across the distance.

 

A move of his fingers. Another breath of air. A second note rang out. Then a third.

 

Yixing thought of Shixun. The love he felt in his heart whenever he looked at Shixun, the warmth that tingled on his skin every time Shixun touched him, the beauty of Shixun being Shixun. And he let it come out as musical notes as he blew into the Xun.

 

“Yixing ge-ge.”

 

Yixing binked. The sun was too bright, making him squint his eyes. He was lying with his back on the snow, his head on Shixun’s lap. As Yixing’s mind slowly cleared, he took in his surroundings. They were in the mountain forest.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, are you alright?”

 

Yixing shakily sat up, supported by Shixun.

 

“What happened?”

 

“You got trapped by an Illusion Tree. But it’s alright now! Shixun burnt the tree! See?”

 

Yixing looked over at the charred remains of the tree. It was still smoking. The accused fragrance was no more.

 

“Yixing ge-ge.”

 

The choked sound of Shixun’s voice told Yixing even before he looked at Shixun’s face that Shixun was crying. Yixing gathered his dragon into his arms, shushing Shixun gently as he held the boy close to him.

 

“Yixing ge-ge nearly died.”

 

“I wouldn’t die so easily. Not when I have you. Even when I am on the brink of death, I would come back, because I know I need to come back to you.”

 

“I was going all around the mountain trying to find Yixing ge-ge. I found your starting point, saw the little flag that read ‘41’, but you weren’t there anymore, so I figured out maybe you had made your way to my starting point, so I went back, but you weren’t there either. Then I thought maybe you were on your way to the peak to find the Spider Eagle egg, so I decided to go up to the peak too. I was calling your name all the way, and then I suddenly heard the sounds of someone playing the Xun. It’s the song Yixing ge-ge composed yourself, the song that you played for me on the day of our one-year anniversary, so I knew the one playing must be Yixing ge-ge! I was so happy that I would be seeing Yixing ge-ge again, but then I saw Yixing ge-ge unconscious underneath the Illusion Tree!”

 

Shixun broke into a fresh wave of delicate sniffles and Yixing was quick cradle his dragon comfortingly in his arms.

 

“I’m alright,” said Yixing reassuringly. “I’m alright, because of you.”

 

“I burnt the tree!” Shixun repeated, anxious to let Yixing know that he had taken revenge on the tree on Yixing’s behalf.

 

“It’s… … not really the tree’s fault. I was led into the trap by Yang Yang gongzi.”

 

“What?!”

 

Yixing told Shixun what Yang Yang did, including all that he had said. Shixun’s face darkened with anger.

 

“I’ll kill him! Let’s go find him now!”

 

“Let’s find the Spider Eagle egg first? But it’s probably too late though. We’ve wasted too much time. Another candidate has probably gotten the egg by now.”

 

Probably Yang Yang.

 

Shixun tilted his head, considering the mountain that loomed up into the sky before them.

 

“Maybe not. The mountain is high. No matter how good Yang Yang or the other candidates are at _qinggong_ , they still have to go up on foot. If we fly up, we’ll be faster than them!”

 

“Fly up?”

 

“Yes!” Shixun nodded eagerly. “I’ll transform to my dragon form, and Yixing ge-ge can ride on me.”

 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” said Yixing gently, arranging the stray strands of Shixun’s hair neatly for him. “Everyone would see. It’ll cause a big commotion.”

 

Shixun deflated, but perked up again quickly.

 

“I know! We can fly up on my sword. Like how Canlie _gongzi_ would do it.”

 

Yixing considered it. “It feels like cheating, if I let you fly me up on your sword. If I get the Spider Eagle egg, it should be by my own effort.”

 

“Then I’ll teach Yixing ge-ge the art of sword-flying! Then Yixing ge-ge can fly yourself up.”

 

The art of sword-flying? Wouldn’t that take a long time to learn?

 

“It’s very easy. Yixing ge-ge will learn it in no time, just like how quickly Yixing ge-ge learnt how to use _qi_.”

 

Shixun stood up.

 

“First, you throw out your sword like this. It’s not just a physical action. You also have to use your mind to control the throw. Then the sword will become bigger, and hover at the correct height above the ground.”

 

Shixun demonstrated as his spoke, his sword obeying his will effortlessly.

 

“Then you step on it, and clasp your hands together, two fingers facing upwards. You gather your _qi_ in your diaphragm, and gather your mental energy to the front of your head, then you focus. Your _qi_ and your mental focus and your sword and your body all become one, and then you can just tell your sword where you want to go, and your sword will do it.”

 

Shixun floated up vertically in the air with his sword. He rose above tree level, before descending down elegantly. He jumped off his sword lightly, jumping straight into Yixing’s arms and planting a kiss on Yixing’s lips in the process. Yixing smiled. The kiss tasted sweet.

 

“Now Yixing ge-ge, you try it too!”

 

It was easier said than done. When Yixing threw his sword, it neither enlarged nor hovered above the ground. The _Qing Gang_ Sword merely landed in the snow, the steel of its blade reflecting faint blue light. Yixing moved to pick it up, but was blocked by Shixun, who took advantage to burrow himself into Yixing’s arms.

 

“Tell the _Qing Gang_ Sword to come up on its own,” said Shixun, his arms wrapped comfortably around Yixing’s waist.

 

“Like this.” Shixun turned his head in the direction of the sword. Obediently, the _Qing Gang_ Sword lifted itself up in the air, hovering above the snow at knee level.

 

“I told it in my heart to go up, and it did. I’ll let it down now, then Yixing ge-ge can try, alright?”

 

“Up,” said Yixing. The sword did nothing.

 

“Yixing ge-ge can do it,” said Shixun encouragingly, giving Yixing another kiss. “Yixing ge-ge is the best. There’s nothing that Yixing ge-ge can’t do.”

 

Not wanting to disappoint Shixun, Yixing closed his eyes and focused again. Bearing what Shixun said in his mind, he gathered his _qi_ in his diaphragm. He put all his focus in the front of his mind, imagining all his thoughts gathering behind his forehead. Then he thought of the _Qing Gang_ Sword. How it felt in his hand when he was wielding it. Its weight and its form. How it sliced through the air into his enemies. How it went where he wanted it to go when he was fighting with it. How it was part of him, an extension of himself, how he and sword were one.

 

Up, he told the sword in his mind. In his mind’s eye, he clearly saw the sword lifting itself up from the snow.

 

“Yixing ge-ge did it! I knew it! That Yixing ge-ge would be able to do it.”

 

Yixing opened his eyes, and saw the _Qing Gang_ sword hovering in mid-air, exactly how he had pictured it in his mind. Shixun was beaming at Yixing, and this time, it was Yixing that kissed him. Not a light fleeting kiss like those that Shixun was so fond of giving Yixing, but a long, extended one. He heard Shixun give a muffled cry of surprise when Yixing wouldn’t let go, but Yixing only deepened the kiss, pulling Shixun closer to him, and pressing his lips down more deeply against Shixun’s, moving his lips against Shixun and milking the sweet taste of Shixun.

 

When Yixing broke the kiss at last, Shixun was breathless and blushing. Shixun’s cheeks were such a pretty shade of pink, and he was so close, clutching the front of Yixing’s robes in the most adorably clingy of ways that Yixing had to force himself to not kiss Shixun again. He knew if he gave in to temptation and allowed himself to kiss Shixun again, he wouldn’t be able to stop until Shixun was his, wholly and completely his.

 

Instead, Yixing stepped away from Shixun and got onto the _Qing Gang_ Sword. Standing on it, he rose up into the air, stopping when he had cleared the tree level. Yixing looked around him. He was halfway up the mountain. Beneath him, the mountain sloped downwards, dotted with the tops of snow-laden trees. Above him, the mountain reached up into the blue sky.

 

Shixun rose into the air, riding on his own sword.

 

“What’s the name of your sword?” asked Yixing, wondering why he didn’t think to ask sooner. If Shixun had given Yixing the _Qing Gang_ Sword, his own sword couldn’t be an ordinary blade either.

 

“The _Yi Tian_ Sword. It’s a matching pair to the _Qing Gang_ Sword, made by the same master blacksmith.”

 

Yixing smiled at Shixun. It was so like him, to make sure that even their swords were matching.

 

They flew slowly. Yixing hadn’t really got the hang of flying yet. His sword wobbled constantly as he struggled to keep his balance, and he couldn’t go as fast as Shixun. Shixun flew close to Yixing, always at the ready to reach out a hand to steady Yixing if necessary. Yixing soon learnt how hard it was fly against the wind.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, it’s a bit like sailing a boat. You should harness the winds and the waves, make them work for you, instead of against you, and you make sure your boat is balanced properly so you don’t overturn.”

 

Shixun’s words were like an epiphany for Yixing. When Yixing was young, maybe four or five years of age, his father taught him how to swim in the shallows of the seashore in the little cove where his father usually docked their fishing boat. One day, the incoming tide brought with it a broken plank floating in the water, and for fun, little Yixing had stood on it, balancing on it as the waves rocked the plank to and fro. He lost his balance often and fell into the water many times, which was part of the fun, and his father had stood next to him all the way, ready to catch him every time. Once he thought of the sword as that wooden plank, standing on it and balancing on the air currents just like how he stood on the wooden plank and balanced on water, he got better at steering the sword.

 

As they flew higher up the mountain, the vegetation beneath them got more sparse. Sporadically, they saw animals like mountain goats, squirrels and rabbits, but these sightings became fewer as they went higher. As they neared the peak, snow blanketed everything beneath them. The landscape below was pure and white, desolate and peaceful.

 

“Look at the peak, Yixing ge-ge. It looks like its split in half. Like a giant took a really huge knife and cut it in the centre.”

 

This was not visible from the base of the mountain, but now that he was approaching the peak, Yixing could see it, the tip of the mountain being spilt into a deep ravine. Snow-covered rocks lined both sides of the ravine. Out of the ravine, water spilled out in a long cascading waterfall. The waterfall fell into an icy river that meandered down the mountain slope in the adjacent from the direction from which Yixing and Shixun and travelled up from.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, it’s so pretty!”

 

Yixing agreed with Shixun. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

 

“Where do you think the Spider Eagle nest is?”

 

“I don’t know either. Let’s fly through the ravine, and see if we can spot it. Wait, Yixing ge-ge, there’s someone over there!”

 

Yixing looked around. There was no sign of life anywhere. It was just snow, rocks, ice and flowing water.

 

“Over there! Scaling the rocks above the waterfall. He’s almost made it to the top of the ravine.”

 

Yixing could see him now. The figure of a lone man scaling up the sheer cliff. He seemed to be moving up the vertical rock face using a combination of _qinggong_ as well as two sharp daggers which he used to pierce into the rocks. Even from the back, and from a distance, Yixing could tell who it was.

 

“It’s Yang Yang.”

 

Shixun turned to look at the man again, instantly on high alert, face darkening.

 

“I’ll kill him!”

 

“Shixun, please, no.”

 

Shixun looked at Yixing, incredulous.

 

“But why not? He nearly killed Yixing ge-ge.”

 

“Let me talk to him first?”

 

Shixun didn’t look happy about it, but he nodded anyway.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, don’t go easy on him later just because he pleads for his life, alright?”

 

“Shixun, look over there. At the centre of the ravine.”

 

“Where?”

 

“There’s a white ball. Hanging in mid-air in the middle of the ravine. Above the waterfall.”

 

“I see it too, Yixing ge-ge. That must be the Spider Eagle egg. But how is it hanging in the air like that?”

 

On their swords, they flew towards the egg. Because he was so focused on the egg, Yixing didn’t realise that he had flown into a thick transparent sticky thread until it got caught on his face. He tried to brush it away, but it was awfully sticky, and before he could get rid of the first one, another one got stuck on his face.

 

“Urggh…. spider webs!”

 

Now that Shixun mentioned it, Yixing realised what they were. Certainly, the texture, the stickiness and the transparency of the thread were consistent with that of spider webs, but these were much bigger and thicker. The entire ravine was filled with these gigantic spider web threads, criss-crossing lines that filled the chasm. Belatedly, Yixing realised how the Spider Eagle had gotten its name. In middle of it all, the egg hung in the air, supported by the multitude of criss-crossing threads.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, let’s go to top of the ravine first then figure out what to do.”

 

Yixing followed Shixun’s lead as he reversed, backing away from the mess of spider webs, before ascending vertically up to the peak. When they reached the top, they jumped lightly off their swords onto the soft snow-covered peak. They had just sheathed their swords when they saw Yang Yang huffing and puffing as he pulled himself up the edge of cliff to stand on flat ground once again. To say that he was shocked to see Yixing and Shixun was an understatement.

 

“You… … you’re not… …. you didn’t… ….”

 

“I didn’t die, if that’s what you are trying to say,” stated Yixing matter-of-factly.

 

“How dare you try to harm Yixing ge-ge!” Shixun interjected, unable to hold back his anger any longer.

 

“I stand by what I did. I would have probably done the same thing if I were given the chance to choose again.”

 

“You… …. !” Shixun was beyond livid. The _Yi Tian_ Sword shot out of his scabbard and flew into his hand.

 

“Shixun,” said Yixing, holding on to Shixun’s arm. “Let this be between me and Yang Yang?”

 

“But… … Yixing ge-ge… …”

 

Shixun looked hesitant. Yixing could understand Shixun’s reticence. If it were Shixun against Yang Yang, there was no doubt Shixun would win. But if it were Yixing against Yang Yang, the victory could go either way, and Yixing knew Shixun did not want to take such a risk with Yixing. Nevertheless, Yixing felt like this was something he had to do on his own.

 

“You said that it was ten years too soon for me to challenge you. You said you felt it was unfair that Shixun was going to be the next Son of Mount Shu when he isn’t really interested in becoming one and is here only because of me. You feel that it is unfair that while you think I am not up to standard, my presence in this examination would cost you to fail it. If that’s the case, then let us fight one-to-one. If I win, you have to recognise that I have the right to be here in the examination.”

 

“I agree to your terms. But should I win, you and Shixun must both withdraw from the examination immediately.”

 

“I agree.” Yixing indicated the Spider Eagle egg hanging suspended in the middle of the ravine. “Whoever gets the egg wins.”

 

Yang Yang’s eyes brightened when he saw the egg. He looked like he was going to leap off the side of the cliff immediately to make an attempt, but Shixun interjected, “On the count of three. You and Yixing ge-ge have to start at the same time. It wouldn’t be fair otherwise.”

 

“Shixun _gongzi_ can’t intervene in this, no matter what happens.”

 

“That is not something Yang Yang _gongzi_ need worry about,” said Shixun haughtily. “Yixing ge-ge is a man who upholds his word. He is not a hypocrite pretending to be a gentleman, unlike some people. Yixing ge-ge made an agreement with you, and neither he nor I would break it.”

 

“Count to three for us, Shixun.”

 

Shixun’s eyes connected with Yixing’s, and at once, Yixing understood all that Shixun had not said out loud. His worry for Yixing, his love and trust in him. Yixing squeezed Shixun’s hand reassuringly.

 

Both Yixing and Yang Yang stepped up to the side of the ravine. It was a steep drop to the bottom, where the icy river flowed fast and furious. On the other side of the river was the other sheer cliff that mirrored the one that they were standing on. Now that Yixing knew that they were there, he could make out the criss-crossing lines of the spider webs as they glittered and reflected sunlight.

 

“One, two, three.”

 

Both Yixing and Yang Yang leapt. Yixing felt himself plummeting through thin air. It was heart-stopping. If not for the fact that he knew the art of sword-flying, Yixing knew he would never be able to do this.

 

Yixing’s foot found purchase. He was balancing with both feet on a Spider Eagle thread. Holding his arms outstretched to the sides, Yixing used the best _qinggong_ he could muster as he ran down the Spider Eagle thread towards the egg, his feet barely skimming the thread as he took great wide leaps. To his left, he could see Yang Yang doing the same.

 

They reached the egg at roughly the same time. Yang Yang attacked first, his sword piercing towards Yixing in a forward thrust to the heart. Yixing drew the _Qing Gang_ Sword and parried the sword to the left. Though he met Yang Yang’s blow steel for steel, Yixing found himself thrown off footing. The insubstantial Spider Eagle thread provided no support for his footwork. Yixing fell, plummeting in the air for a few feet before his feet found purchase on another Spider Eagle thread. By this time, Yang Yang had already reached the egg. Luckily, the egg was encased in a layer of thick sticky threads, and was not easy to dislodge. Yixing dipped his weight on the springy Spider Eagle thread and used it as leverage to launch himself upwards in the air. Yang Yang was forced to let go of the Spider Eagle egg to answer Yixing’s sword.

 

They fought back and forth on the Spider Eagle threads. Yang Yang was a good fighter. His blows were swift and deadly, and Yixing often found himself having to dodge by twisting his upper body to the left or right, or retreating, which was tricky because he had to use his footwork to balance on the thin Spider Eagle thread. There were many times that Yang Yang forced him into a corner, and Yixing had to somersault over Yang Yang to land behind him, or jump onto a neighbouring Spider Eagle thread, in order to evade Yang Yang’s attack.

 

But the _jianfa_ that Shixun had taught Yixing proved to be a force to reckon with too. It was smooth and compact, every thrust or swing well-calculated to attack vital points while conserving the user’s energy. Fighting well trying to balance on the thin Spider Eagle threads was no easy task, and after some time, Yixing could tell that both Yang Yang and himself were starting to tire.

 

Yang Yang’s strokes became increasingly fast and aggressive, and Yixing knew he was aiming for a quick victory before his body tired out. Yixing found himself backed to the edge of the ravine. He turned his back on Yang Yang, and ran towards the the cliff. When he reached the stone wall, he leapt towards it. His foot touched the cliff face, he used it as leverage to turn his body and ascend higher at the same time. Kicking off the cliff, he lunged at Yang Yang with his sword pointed in a forward thrust, gravity and the kick-off providing him with faster speed and increased force. But Yang Yang was ready to answer the blow. His sword met with Yixing’s, but instead of fighting it, he let his sword slide to the side following the momentum of Yixing’s attack, letting the force of the blow peter out. The whole Spider Eagle thread they were standing on swayed with the force of the blow, bringing Yixing and Yang Yang with it, swaying in the ravine like a pendulum. Then he adjusted the angle of his own sword so that it rotated and slid under Yixing’s blade, until it came out on the other side of the _Qing Gang_ Sword. With a burst of force, Yang Yang knocked the _Qing Gang_ Sword out of Yixing’s hands. A flying kick to his chest, and Yixing was knocked off the Spider Eagle thread, and was falling downwards head first towards the rushing river below.

 

“Yixing ge-ge!” Shixun’s voice echoed throughout the ravine, clearing Yixing’s mind and bringing him to his senses.

 

Mustering every last drop of mental strength he had, Yixing called the _Qing Gang_ Sword to him. Somersaulting in mid-air, Yixing righted his posture, so that he was no longer falling head first, but was standing upright even as he continued falling downwards. The Qing Gang Sword answered his summons, and his feet landed neatly on it. Flying on the sword, Yixing ascending vertically to where Yang Yang was.

 

By this time, Yang Yang had already dislodged the Spider Eagle egg from the sticky webbing. Yixing struck a palm at Yang Yang, forcing him to dodge. Hugging the egg protectively to his chest, Yang Yang swung his sword at Yixing. Yixing could only parry with his bare hands, as his sword was beneath his feet. Even so, Yixing realised he was not at a disadvantage. Standing on the _Qing Gang_ Sword was a lot more solid than standing on the Spider Eagle thread, and Yixing found that the more stable base allowed his blows to be faster and stronger. On the other hand, Yang Yang’s weak foundation was now his weakness, and so Yixing attacked his legs. Yixing’s strikes forced Yang Yang’s feet off the Spider Eagle thread. Just before he fell, Yixing grabbed the egg from him.

 

Yang Yang was falling through the air at high speed. Following the projectile of his fall, Yang Yang was going to hit the sharp icy rocks that formed the banks of the rushing river below. Yixing issued a  mental command, and the _Qing Gang_ Sword shot like an arrow through the air. He reached Yang Yang just in time before he hit the jagged ice and rocks. Yang Yang clung to the hilt of Yixing’s sword tightly with both hands, and Yixing brought them upwards, Yixing standing on the sword with Yang Yang dangling below him from the hilt. They reached the top of the ravine where Shixun was waiting. Yixing hovered his sword in mid-air to allow Yang Yang to release his hold on the hilt and land on the soft snow, before he jumped off the sword and landed next to Shixun.

 

Shixun was beaming with happiness, tears shining in his eyes.

 

“Yixing ge-ge!” Shixun flung his arms around Yixing, and kissed Yixing on the lips.

 

Yixing passed him the Spider Eagle egg. Shixun inspected it curiously. It was huge, oval and white, about ten times larger than a chicken egg. It was still covered in strands of sticky webbing.

 

Shixun turned to Yang Yang. “Why did you save him, Yixing ge-ge? You should have let him die. He tried to kill you!”

 

“You lost,” said Yixing, reminding Yang Yang of the terms of their engagement.

 

“I recognise that you have every right to be here in the examination. You deserve to be here. You deserve to… win.”

 

Yang Yang had a strong pride, and Yixing knew that it hurt him to admit this.

 

“Shixun, let’s go.”

 

The _Qing Gang_ Sword hovered expectantly in the air next to Yixing.

 

“Yixing ge-ge is letting him go just like that?”

 

“Come, let’s deliver the egg to Mount Shu,” said Yixing, stepping on the _Qing Gang_ Sword.

 

As always, Shixun demurred to Yixing. The _Yi Tian_ Sword flew out of its scabbard too, and it turned in the air in an elegant arc before it hovered next to Shixun.

 

“You better be grateful to Yixing ge-ge! That’s twice he’s saved your life now.”

 

Yang Yang did not reply Shixun. He stared at ground at his feet, his face angry and bitter. Shixun got onto his sword, and both of them rose into the sky. They soon left Yang Yang far behind. They flew steadily on their swords towards the neighbouring peak, Mount Shu.

 

It was easy to find their way, because Canlie had shown it to them before. As they approached, they could see the cluster of buildings, tiled sloping roofs and intricated wooden walls amidst the blankets of clouds and mist. They flew towards the building that Canlie had pointed out as the Main Hall. They got off their swords in a big courtyard in front of it. A servant was waiting.

 

“Come this way,” said the servant, gesturing towards the main entrance. “The three grand masters and the Seven Sons of Mount Shu are waiting inside.”

 

Shixun passed the egg that he had been holding to Yixing, but Yixing shook his head.

 

“Let’s give the egg together.”

 

Shixun cocked his head to side. “But Yixing ge-ge is the one who got the egg. And Yixing ge-ge is the one who wants to be a Son of Mount Shu.”

 

“I would never have done it without you. Let’s go inside together and present it together to the masters of Mount Shu.”

 

Shixun smiled at Yixing, his face shining brightly under the sun, his eyes curved into crescent moons. He was beautiful.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Together, they walked in, holding the egg between them. They were in a great hall. Pillars lined both sides of the room. The three grandmasters of Mount Shu were seated in a raised dais in the front of the room. They were dressed in robes of white, wore black scholarly hats, and had grey beards. The Seven Sons of Mount Shu sat on chairs at either side of the hall. Canlie was beaming brightly at them.

 

Both Yixing and Shixun knelt down in the centre of hall, before the masters, holding up the Spider Eagle egg. Jin Junmian came and took the egg from them. He brought the egg to his masters, bowing respectfully as he presented the egg to them. The master seated at the right took the egg from Junmian. He inspected it, before passing it to the two other masters. All three masters took turns to inspect the egg carefully. Eventually, the master in the middle looked up and spoke.

 

“Congratulations, Zhang Yixing and Wu Shixun. You are the Eighth and Ninth Sons of Mount Shu.”

 

Both Yixing and Shixun kow-towed to express their thanks. When they got up, Yixing caught Shixun’s eye, and at that moment, when their eyes met, Yixing had never felt happier.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I borrowed the Illusion Tree and the Spider Eagle egg from Hunter x Hunter


	9. Chapter 9

Yixing sat perfectly still. Eyes closed, cross-legged, back upright, the back of his hands resting on his knees, second and third fingers pointing forwards, the other fingers folded down. Clad in robes of flowing white, he was a striking sight against the black rock he was sitting on. The rock was large and flat, situated in the middle of a shallow sparkling mountain stream. Behind him a small waterfall fell, its water feeding the stream. The sound of the falling water was soothing, therapeutic, helping Yixing to focus.

 

He felt his _qi_ within him, the flow of energy that circulated through his body, strengthening him from the inside. Now that he knew how to listen to his body, he could feel it. His own qi. It felt personal and familiar. And not only his own _qi_ , but also Shixun’s _xianqi_. It felt different. It was strong, much stronger than his own, but also friendly and happy. Happy to be in his body, happy to strengthen Yixing. They were two distinct flows of energy, but Yixing noticed that they were starting to merge, beginning to become one. Yixing encouraged this, using his meditation to expediate the process. Yixing focused, allowing his consciousness to merge with the flow of _qi_ in his body, becoming one with it.

 

“Plop!” A splash of water broke through the stillness.

 

Yixing opened his eyes. There should have been another figure clad in white sitting cross-legged on the rock facing him, but there was no one. Yixing raised his eyes. Scanning the surroundings, Yixing spotted the figure he had been searching for. He was knee deep in the water, uncaring that he had gotten his pristine white robes wet. Completely unaware that he had disturbed Yixing from his meditation, he had his back bent as he tried to reach for something inside the stream.

 

“Shixun.”

 

“Yixing ge-ge!” Shixun turned to look at Yixing, his face anxious and upset. “I caught this very interesting looking fish. It’s rainbow-coloured! I had it in the palm of my hand, but it squirmed out and jumped back into the water. Yixing ge-ge, come and catch the fish for Shixun! Quick, it’s swimming away!”

 

“Shixun,” Yixing said, a gentle admonishment. “We’re supposed to be meditating. All Mount Shu disciples are to start each day with two hours of mediation.”

 

Shixun pouted, but obediently waded back to the rock where Yixing was. As he stepped out of the water, his robes dried instantly, as if they had never been wet. Yixing smiled encouragingly at him when he settled down cross-legged in front of Yixing.

 

“Breathe in,” said Yixing. “Feel your _qi._ Breathe out. Centre your _qi_. Breathe in. Be one with your _qi_. Breathe out. Strengthen your _qi_. Breathe in. Cultivate it, let it gather strength. Breathe out… …”

 

Yixing’s voice petered out as his consciousness slipped back into full mediation mode. His eyes saw nothing, his ears heard the sounds of nature and became one with them, his mind conscious of nothing else except for the ebb and flow of _qi_ within his body.

 

A sudden bird cry pierced through the silence. Yixing would have ignored it, if not for the fact that he knew that this was a distraction that Shixun would not be able to withstand. Yixing opened his eyes, and true enough, the spot in front of Yixing was empty again. Yixing lifted his eyes, and saw that Shixun was standing at the very top of a nearby tree, his superior _qinggong_ allowing him to balance perfectly on the thin topmost branches. He looked like he was on the verge of throwing out his sword to chase after the majestic white-feathered and black-speckled hawk that was circling the sky.

 

“Shixun, come down.”

 

Shixun pouted, but stepped off the branch obediently, his long white robes flowing behind him as he landing elegantly in front of Yixing.

 

“Yixing ge-ge!” Shixun chirped happily, scooting to Yixing’s side and smiling cutely at Yixing. Yixing sighed, knowing that Shixun was only acting cute in order to escape an admonishment from Yixing.

 

“Shixun, you should focus on your meditation.”

 

“It’s boring… …” Shixun pouted.

 

“What will make you settle down and focus?”

 

“If Yixing ge-ge gives me a kiss, Shixun will be good and do my meditation properly!”

 

Shixun leaned forward, presenting his left cheek to Yixing. Yixing smiled, barely believing the nerve of his cheeky dragon. Nevertheless, he gave in to his dragon and planted a kiss on his cheek.

 

“Yixing ge-ge must be fair. You can’t just kiss one side, and not the other,” said Shixun, presenting his other cheek to Yixing. “So now, Yixing ge-ge must kiss this side too!”

 

Smiling, Yixing did as he was bid. Shixun now faced Yixing. His lips were a mere hair’s breadth away from Yixing’s. Understanding what his dragon wanted, Yixing closed the gap and kissed Shixun full on the lips.

 

When Yixing pulled back, Shixun was looking utterly delighted, his face shining with happiness.

 

“Focus on your meditation now.”

 

Shixun put up no further protest. He settled down at last, back straight as he closed his eyes, his breathing evening out. Instead of immediately going back to his own meditation, Yixing spent some time just watching Shixun. He was beautiful. The morning sunlight bathed his skin in a soft glow, highlighting the ridge of his nose, his cheekbones, his lips, the shadow of his adam’s apple. Since young, Yixing had always thought the robes of Mount Shu looked very smart, but with Shixun clad in them, the robes of pure white looked positively ethereal. As always, when he looked upon Shixun, Yixing felt like the luckiest man in the world. A feeling of warmth inside him, Yixing closed his eyes and slipped back into meditation.

 

The position of the sun in the sky told Yixing when the two hours were up. True to his word, Shixun was perfectly still in front of him, and even needed Yixing to tap him on the knee to bring him out of his meditation. Hand in hand, they went down the mountain, only letting go of each other’s hand when they entered the premises of the main buildings of Mount Shu.

 

Yixing and Shixun made their way to dining hall. The other Sons of Mount Shu were streaming in as well, coming for breakfast after completing their individual morning meditation. Junmian and Kai were not around, having left a couple of weeks ago on a mission. A demon had been wrecking havoc in Dali, a city kingdom in the south, and their teachers had sent them to subdue it. The other Sons of Mount Shu were there in the dining hall with Yixing and Shixun, and the seven of them sat together at the same table. The kitchen had prepared noodles tossed in black bean sauce and topped with minced meat and sliced mushrooms for today’s breakfast. It was a warm and wholesome meal, and Yixing tucked into it, but Shixun only ate a few bites before he abandoned his noodles in favour of the piece of sweet osmanthus cake that was meant to be the after-meal treat. Yixing smiled at Shixun’s expression of blissful satisfaction as he nibbled daintily on his cake. Without needing Shixun to ask, Yixing silently slid his portion of osmanthus cake across the table to Shixun when he had finished the portion. When Shixun had finished Yixing’s cake as well, he pouted at Canlie, and then Canlie’s portion was immediately given up to Shixun too.

 

The other Sons of Mount Shu smiled at Shixun’s antics. As the Ninth Son of Mount Shu, Shixun was regarded as the youngest amongst them and everyone doted on him the most, sometimes to the protest of Kai, who until recently, had been the youngest. Conversation at the breakfast table today centred around Xiumin, Boxian and Chen. Even when there were no appeals to Mount Shu to deal with demon attacks, Mount Shu disciples were tasked with roaming the country at regular intervals to provide aid to anyone in need, and it was their turn. Xiumin, Boxian and Chen would be descending the mountain together, but once at the foot, they would be going their separate ways, Xiumin to the north, Boxian to the west, and Chen to the south.

 

Yixing gave an envelope to Chen. It contained his and Shixun’s allowance for the month, and also a handwritten letter from Yixing to his mother. When Yixing first became a Son of Mount Shu, he had been surprised to find out that he would be paid a monthly allowance which was roughly ten times the amount he earned a month as a fisherman. Canlie had explained to Yixing that Mount Shu lived on donations made by wealthy family clans from the capital, amongst which included not only the royal family but also Canlie’s, Xiumin’s and Jingxiu’s families. Yixing sent almost all his money to his mother every month, only leaving himself with enough to cover his basic expenditures. Proclaiming that he had no use for money, Shixun insisted on contributing the same amount from his salary to Yixing’s family too. Usually Yixing and Shixun would make a trip at the start of every month to the town at the foot of Mount Shu. There was a shop there that offered armed delivery services, and every month Yixing would commission a delivery to his mother. Yixing’s mother was illiterate, but she could pay someone in the big town across the hill from their village to read Yixing’s letter aloud to her. However, as Yixing’s village happened to lie within the jurisdiction that Chen was tasked to, Chen had offered to personally deliver the money and the letter to Yixing’s mother this time.

 

After breakfast, Yixing, Shixun, Canlie and Jingxiu accompanied Xiumin, Boxian and Chen down the mountain to see them off. They could have flown down on their swords, but Xiumin liked the outdoors, enjoyed using _qinggong_ to descend the mountain on foot, and as he was the eldest, the other Sons of Mount Shu generally demurred to what he wanted. It was a race amongst the seven of them as they leapt lightly from ground to rock to tree, the beautiful mountain scenery breezing past them. Shixun easily led the way, the most light-footed of them all, though he frequently doubled-back just so he could run alongside Yixing for a while before something or the other caught his fancy and he left to explore on his own for a while again.

 

At the foot of the mountain, Yixing, Shixun, Canlie and Jingxiu lined up in a row and bowed to Xiumin, Boxian and Chen. Xiumin, Boxian and Chen got onto their swords, and they watched as the three of them ascended into the air, heading in different directions, staying until all three of them had disappeared from view.

 

Yixing, Shixun, Canlie and Jingxiu ascended back up Mount Shu, on their swords this time. Yixing liked flying. He liked the feeling of slicing through the open air, the wind in his face, the view beneath his feet, and the clouds around him. On air, Shixun was less distracted, and he stuck close to Yixing all the way.

 

When they returned to the Main Hall, Jingxiu excused himself to train alone. He was currently trying to master a high-level Mount Shu inner strength skill and would need peace and quiet. On the other hand, Canlie was supposed to teach Yixing and Shixun Mount Shu’s _rumen jianfa_ today. There were three grandmasters in Mount Shu – Hu Ge, the First Grandmaster and also Sect Leader, Huo Jianhua, the Second Grandmaster, and Yuan Hong, the Third Grandmaster. Xiumin, Junmian and Boxian were disciples of the First Grandmaster. Chen, Jingxiu and Kai were disciples of the Third Grandmaster. When Yixing and Shixun joined Mount Shu, the Second Grandmaster only had one disciple under him, Canlie, so naturally he was the one to take Yixing and Shixun under his wing. Yixing recognised the Second Grandmaster instantly as the man who had saved him so many years ago, the man who had saved him when he fell off the roof as a kid while watching the Lunar New Year procession. Yixing had never expected to be able to be his student one day, and was beyond grateful for the twists in his life circumstances that had brought him here to Mount Shu.

 

As they had the same master, this made Canlie their most direct _shixiong_. The Second Grandmaster had taught both Yixing and Shixun the strokes and the theory of the Mount Shu _rumen jianfa_ , but to Yixing especially, it was difficult to master and he needed more time. However, the Second Grandmaster had recently gone into seclusion with the First and Third Grandmasters to hone their martial arts, and so during this time, he had put Canlie in charge of teaching Yixing and Shixun.

 

The three of them stood in the middle of the main courtyard, right in front of the Main Hal of Mount Shu. The day was bright and sunny. Behind them, the mountain range sprawled into the distance against the sky. The Main Hall of Mount Shu was an impressive building, a three-storey building with sloping tiled roofs, and intricate wooden carvings adorning its pillars, walls and windows.

 

“Come, Eighth _shidi_ and Ninth _shidi_. Draw your swords and show me your strokes.”

 

It felt nice to have Canlie address him and Shixun as _shidi_.

 

“Yes, Fifth _shixiong_.”

 

The Qing Gang Sword and the Yi Tian Sword flew out of their scabbards and into the hands of Yixing and Shixun. Yixing and Shixun got into the starting stance, and in perfect unison, they demonstrated the first stroke of the _rumen jianfa_.

 

“Very good. Ninth _shidi_ , your sword stroke was perfect. But Eighth _shidi_ , you need to straighten your back more.” Yixing felt Canlie’s hand on his back, pushing him into position. “And the movement of your underhand swing needs to be smoother, like this.” Canlie’s fingers closed around the wrist of Yixing’s sword hand as he guided Yixing through the motion.

 

Beside them, Shixun cleared his throat loudly. Both Yixing and Canlie turned to look at him. He was staring pointedly at Canlie’s hands, one of which was on Yixing’s waist and the other around his wrist. Canlie quickly dropped his hands and stepped back from Yixing. Smiling brightly again, Shixun happily took Canlie’s place, putting his hands where Canlie had been previously holding Yixing.

 

“Like this, Yixing ge-ge.”

 

Yixing allowed Shixun to guide him through the motion, while Canlie stood by the side and supervised. When Canlie was satisfied, they moved on to the next stroke, with Canlie standing in front to demonstrate, Yixing and Shixun standing one step behind, mirroring his actions. There were twenty-five strokes in all for the _rumen jianfa_ , and by the time they had finished, pausing only briefly during noon time for lunch, the sun was already hanging low, casting a warm fiery glow upon the mountains.

 

“Eighth shidi, Ninth shidi, both of you did well,” said Canlie, smiling warmly at them both.

 

“Shixun did well. He learns quickly. I will need to practice more. Thank you for your patience in guiding me, Fifth _shixiong_.”

 

“Yixing ge-ge did very well too!” Shixun interjected. “Yixing ge-ge is the best! Isn’t that right, Fifth _shixiong_?”

 

Canlie smiled at Shixun, and Yixing knew that Shixun addressing him directly and calling him Fifth _shixiong_ made Canlie happier than he could say.

 

“Ninth _shidi_ is right.”

 

“See? Fifth _shixiong_ agrees with Shixun, so Shixun must be right! Yixing ge-e is the best. There is no one better than Yixing ge-ge.”

 

Smiling, Yixing tweaked Shixun on the nose.

 

“Let’s go eat dinner. Shixun is hungry.”

 

Canlie nodded. “Let’s get dinner from the kitchens then go to Sixth _shidi_ and eat with him. He’ll be at the edge of the cliff. That’s his favourite place to train.”

 

Suddenly, a sudden red flash of light drew Yixing’s eye to his finger. On the second finger of his left hand, Yixing wore a thick silver ring, inlaid with a white moonstone crystal. Both Shixun and Chanlie wore similar rings, but Canlie’s was inlaid with a blue opal, and Shixun’s with a purple amethyst.

 

But right now, the stones on all three of their rings were blinking red. Red was the colour of the gemstone on Kai’s ring, a red ruby. The fact that their rings were now blinking the colour of Kai’s gemstone could only mean one thing.

 

Kai was calling for help.

 

And then, alternating between the red flashes, their rings blinked black. Black onyx was the gemstone on Junmian’s ring.

 

Not only Kai, but also Junmian, was calling for help.

 

The Qing Gang Sword flew out of its scabbard and hovered expectantly next to Yixing.

 

“Let’s go!” Yixing was on the verge of climbing on top of sword and soaring into the sky, to the rescue of Kai and Junmian.

 

“Wait,” said Canlie. His voice was deadly calm. A flick of his finger, and he threw a small stone towards a great bell that hung in the centre of the courtyard. It was a mark of Canlie’s great inner strength, because when the small stone struck against the huge bronze bell, the bell rang in a great deep baritone, as if it had been struck by a big hammer. The clanging of the bell echoed throughout Mount Shu. Servants began running towards the courtyard, where Canlie, Yixing and Shixun were.

 

“Go and inform the three grandmasters that Second _shixiong_ and seventh _shidi_ are in danger, and that Sixth _shidi_ , Eighth _shidi_ , Ninth _shidi_ and I will be going to their aid. Eldest _shixiong_ , third _shixiong_ and fourth _shixiong_ are probably already on the way there as we speak.”

 

With a bow, the servant scurried off.

 

“Go to the kitchens and request that they pack four portions of travel rations,” said Canlie to the second servant who had just come running in.

 

“Go to the records room and get me the details of Second _shixiong_ and Seventh _shidi_ ’s mission. The exact location, the person who was their point of contact and any background information of the demon attack,” said Canlie to the third servant who had come running in.

 

“Go to your living quarters,” said Canlie to Yixing and Shixun. “Pack a few changes of clothing, a blanket, a flint, and some money. We meet back here in this courtyard immediately after.”

 

Yixing and Shixun took to the air on their swords. Their living quarters was very near, a mere fifteen minutes away on foot, but time was of essence right now. They lived in the same hut. Junmian had explained that they were only expecting one person to pass the Mount Shu entrance examination, and had thus only prepared one hut for the new Son of Mount Shu. He had asked if Yixing and Shixun could share a hut first while they prepared another one for Shixun, but Shixun had firmly declared that he wanted to stay in the same hut as Yixing and there was no need for Junmian to prepare a different hut for him. Initially Junmian had thought that Shixun just hadn’t wanted to be a trouble, but Canlie had confirmed that even if Junmian went ahead to prepare a separate hut for Shixun, Shixun wouldn’t live in it anyway, and so Junmian was thus convinced to give up the notion.

 

Yixing and Shixun packed as Canlie had instructed. When they landed back at the main courtyard, they found Canlie and Jingxiu already there, packed and ready to go. They were pouring over a map.

 

“This is the city that Second _shixiong_ and Seventh _shidi_ went to,” said Canlie, pointing to the spot on the map. “It’s the capital of the Dali kingdom, situated in the Yunnan region, southwest of here, around ten days’ flight by sword. They would have met Duan Hong, the magistrate of the city, who was the one who had appealed to Mount Shu about the demon attack. Other than that, there aren’t many other details relating to this case. We’ll have to go there and find out more.” He tilted his head at Jingxiu. “Sixth _shidi_ has been in the Yunnan region before. He will lead the way there.”

 

Jingxiu took to the air. Canlie, Yixing and Shixun were quick to follow. Tension hung in the air, and none of them spoke as their swords soared through the air. They took minimal breaks, only stopping to eat or sleep. They travelled over fields and rivers, mountains and streams, villages, towns and cities.

 

Eventually after ten days of travel, Jingxiu finally said over dinner, “We’ll reach Dali city tomorrow.”

 

Canlie nodded. “When we reach there, we’ll look for Duan Hong first, to find out more.”

 

“The rings haven’t blinked for the last ten days,” observed Yixing.

 

“Second _shixiong_ and Seventh _shidi_ could be conserving their _fashu_. Once the message for help has been sent, they know that we would be there as fast as we can. There is no point sending more,” said Canlie.

 

Yixing nodded, not voicing the worry in his heart, that silence on the other end of the rings could also mean Junmian and Kai were already dead.

 

“Has anyone ever asked for help before using the rings?” asked Shixun.

 

“Yes. I did, a few years back,” said Canlie. “I was fighting with a tree vine demon. I was careless, and she turned out to be much stronger than I anticipated. She confined me using her vines, and was slowing feeding off my _yang qi_ day by day. I called for help via my ring. Third _shixiong_ and Fourth _shixiong_ happened to be in the area for a mission and they came to my rescue. I was in captivity for about two days before they freed me.”

 

Canlie had been held captive for two days, but even if they were alive, Junmian and Kai would have been held captive for ten days already.

 

“Eldest _shixiong_ , Third _shixiong_ and Fourth _shixiong_ would be on their way here too right?” asked Yixing.

 

“Yes,” replied Canlie. “I am sure of it.”

 

“How would they find us?”

 

“They could have travelled back to Mount Shu first to find out the details of Second _shixiong_ and Seventh _shidi_ ’s misson. Or perhaps Eldest _shixiong_ could already had known these details. Second _shixiong_ often speaks to him of such things. If so, he would have flown here straight. Third _shixiong_ and Fourth _shixiong_ are close with Eldest _shixiong_ , they would know his usual flying routes, and it is possible they have met up with him already. At any rate, we meet with Duan Hong first, and it’s possible we would be able to leave a message with him for them with him.”

 

They made a campfire and lay down next to it for the night. Yixing was grateful for the warmth of the fire, and also of the warmth of Shixun draped over him, both of them snug under the double layer of both their blankets. By this time, Yixing had long given up trying to get Shixun not to sleep cuddled up to him. Even if Yixing insisted they sleep separately for the night, Shixun would sneak into Yixing’s blanket in the middle of the night when Yixing was fast asleep, and Yixing was internally grateful that neither Canlie nor Jingxiu seemed to judge them.

 

“Yixing ge-ge can’t sleep.”

 

Yixing was surprised. Shixun had been so still, Yixing had assumed that he had fallen asleep already.

 

“Yixing ge-ge hasn’t been able to sleep well for the past few nights. Shixun doesn’t like this.”

 

Yixing sneaked a glance at Canlie and Jingxiu. They seemed fast asleep, so Yixing took a chance to plant a kiss on Shixun’s forehead.

 

“I have worried you, Shixun. I am sorry.”

 

Shixun shook his head to let Yixing know that he had nothing be sorry for.

 

“Yixing ge-ge was like this too, the other time when Yixing ge-ge’s brothers were sick. I wish there is something Shixun could do to make your bad feelings go away.”

 

“You being here with me is more than enough, Shixun.”

 

“We’ll rescue Second _shixiong_ and Seventh _shixiong_ tomorrow. Then Yixing ge-ge won’t be worried anymore.”

 

“Yes, we’ll do that. Go to sleep now, alright Shixun? If not, you won’t be well rested for tomorrow.”

 

Yixing patted Shixun back to sleep, lulling his dragon into dreamland.

 

The next morning when Yixing woke, Canlie and Jingxiu were already awake. Canlie had heated up some steamed buns and a pot of tea over the fire, a rarity on the road, as they had been eating nothing but dry biscuits and drinking nothing but plain water for the past few days. When Canlie passed Yixing his steamed bun, Yixing tore a piece off, blowing onto it to cool it down before he passed it to Shixun, so that Shixun could pop it into his mouth immediately.

 

Yixing’s gaze happened to slide over Canlie, and Yixing could see a tinge flit across Canlie’s face momentarily. He was not over his feelings for Shixun, Yixing realised. If anything, the time Shixun had spent on Mount Shu had probably only made Canlie’s feelings stronger, and seeing Yixing and Shixun like this was probably difficult for him. Canlie caught Yixing looking at him, and their eyes met awkwardly for a brief moment before Canlie quickly lowered his eyes and looked away. Just from the brief moment, Yixing had a feeling that Canlie had heard the brief conversation Yixing and Shixun had before falling asleep the night before. Yixing was well aware that Shixun’s world revolved around him. Even though they had spent some time already with the other Sons of Mount Shu, they were still insignificant characters in Shixun’s life. Shixun’s main reason for wanting to save Junmian and Kai was for Yixing’s sake, so that Yixing would not feel worried. From Shixun’s perspective, only Yixing mattered. Even though Shixun liked Canlie and the other Sons of Mount Shu well enough, they had no real place in Shixun’s heart, and Yixing knew this hurt him.

 

After breakfast, they flew into the city of Dali. It was big and bustling, the biggest city Yixing had ever seen. Yixing had not thought it possible to have so many buildings, streets and people congregated in the same place. They most noticeable building was that of the royal palace, but it was the magistrate’s court they were looking for. After circling around the city for a while, it was Jingxiu who spotted it, citing the fact the roof of the building had four small figurines sitting on the curved edge of each corner as evidence that this was the building that they were looking for. The palace had six small figurines on the corner of its roofs, and the main temple five, and the magistrate’s court, the next most important building, would have four.

 

They landed on the street in front of the magistrate’s court, causing a huge commotion. People crowded around, gawking openly. No one approached them until the magistrate himself came to meet them, his advisors and guards flanking him. The magistrate invited them into the inner court, where they were seated on carved wooden chairs and served tea in ornately decorated blue and white porcelain teacups.

 

“May we ask more about the demon attack that you approached Mount Shu for help for?” asked Canlie, once they had all taken a few sips of tea and had exchanged some pleasantries.

 

“There was a demon who came and wrecked havoc over all of Dali city,” said the magistrate, Duan Hong. “He summoned flood waters, fire and hail over the city in turn for many days. He only stopped when our king agreed to give his daughter’s hand in marriage to him. The demon initially wanted to take our princess away immediately, but our king managed to stall for some time, saying that they had to wait for an auspicious date, and that it was important that our princess had a proper wedding ceremony. While pretending to prepare for the wedding, we secretly sent a messenger to Mount Shu to ask for help. We are very grateful to Junmian _daxia_ and Zhongren _daxia_ for coming to our aid.”

 

“What happened after Second _shixiong_ and Seventh _shidi_ arrived?” asked Canlie.

 

“Junmian _daxia_ and Zhongren _daxia_ arrived just in time, on the actual day of the wedding. We hid the princess away, leaving Junmian _daxia_ and Zhongren _daxia_ to lay ambush in the wedding chamber. When the demon came to claim his bride, Junmian _daxia_ and Zhongren _daxia_ fought with him.”

 

“What was the outcome of the fight?”

 

“The fight was long and fierce, lasting throughout the entire night. Eventually, the demon managed to take Zhongren _daxia_ hostage, forcing Junmian _daxia_ to back down. The demon fled the palace with Zhongren _daxia_ still in his clutches, and Junmian _daxia_ gave chase. Our soldiers gave chase too. We want to provide back-up to Junmin _daxia_ , but they were too fast. Our soldiers reported that they gave chase as hard as they could, but they lost them somewhere in the outskirts of the city.”

 

“Could we speak to the guards that gave chase that day?”

 

“Yes, of course. They are imperial palace guards, and would be on duty in the imperial palace right now. I will send a message to the palace immediately to request that they come here to meet you. I have asked my servants to prepare rooms for you. Please have a good rest and I will let you know once they arrive.”

 

They were shown to their rooms. Canlie and Jingxiu shared one room, while Yixing and Shixun shared another. It felt good to have a proper bath after so many days on the road. After their baths, the four of them congregated in Yixing’s and Shixun’s room. Jingxiu asked the kitchens for more rations, and he helped pack and refill all their packs. Both Canlie and Yixing were sombre and worried, neither saying much. Yixing could tell Shixun was itching to go out and explore the exotic and bustling city of Dali, filled with so many exciting mysteries to discover, but sensing Yixing’s mood, he obediently stuck close to Yixing, upset that Yixing was upset.

 

Shixun had been sitting at the window of the room, which looked out into the courtyard, where a lone tree stood, growing up towards the sky, when he suddenly said, “Look! Eldest _shixiong_ , Third _shixong_ and Fourth _shixong_ are here.”

 

They all rushed out into the courtyard, looking up into the sky where Shixun was pointing. Yixing could not see anything. It was just blue sky and white clouds. He glanced over at Canlie and Jingxiu. It was obvious that they could not see anything either. But Shixun insisted, so they all squinted up into the sky, until eventually, Yixing could see. Three figures, no more than dots at first, appearing in the expanse of blue sky. Canlie and Jingxiu took to the air immediately. They met Xiumin, Boxian and Chen in the air, and led them back down into the courtyard where Yixing and Shixun were standing.

 

Yixing was happy to see them. It felt good, that they were all united once more, to be able to work together as a team to help Junmian and Kai. The magistrate came to greet them, and more pleasantries were exchanged. After the magistrate left, Canlie filled them in on what they had learnt so far.

 

“The demon must be powerful,” said Chen. “If he was daring enough to take on an entire kingdom, he has to be a high-level demon.”

 

“Yes. If even Second _shidi_ had difficulty dealing with him, he must have many years of cultivation in The Way, possibly a thousand years or more,” said Xiumin.

 

A thousand years? That would be twice as old as Shixun. Yixing glanced worriedly at Shixun, but he seemed completely unperturbed. 

 

“He must be a pervert too. Lusting openly after the princess like that,” said Boxian.

 

The servants announced the arrival of the palace guards that they had been waiting for. The Sons of Mount Shu met them at the entrance. The head of the guards bowed to them and introduced himself as Chief Yuan.

 

“The battle took place in the palace, and you gave chase until the outskirts of the city, am I right?” asked Boxian. “Could you take us to the place at the outskirts of the city where you lost sight of the demon and our fellow disciples?”

 

The guards let the way. They passed by the palace. Though they didn’t go in, the guards described the fight, how the demon was so highly skilled in _qinggong_ that he could enter and leave the palace at will, despite how heavily guarded it was. He was simply too swift for any guard to catch him. How Junmian and Kai fought with the demon, how they scaled walls and jumped over roofs, how much of the palace got damaged in the process. How the demon, holding a dagger against Kai’s throat, had escaped the palace by jumping over walls, and how Junmian had jumped over the same walls in pursuit, but the guards, not having the same prowess, had to run on foot on proper pathways and through gates. The Sons of Mount Shu followed the guards out of the city gates, and into the countryside beyond. Dali was a mountainous country, and the road soon led them into mountain terrain, leaving behind the buildings and other man-made structures of the city.

 

“We lost them here,” said Chief Yuan. “We had long lost sight of the demon and Zhongren _daxia,_ but we were still following Junmian _daxia_. His white robes were easy to spot in the dark night allowing us to follow him at a distance. But when we reached here, we had lost all sight of Junmian _daxia_.”

 

They were standing in the middle of the mountains. Beyond them, the mountains extended in all directions, the possibilities endless – down the valley, round the mountain, or down the cliff edge? The demon could have gone any way, and there was no way to logically deduce his route. Yixing could understand why the guards would have lost their quarries here. Boxian thanked the guards for their help, assuring them that they could head back to the palace now.

 

“Fifth _shidi_ and Ninth _shidi_ , can you sense any remnants of demon _qi_?”

 

Before Shixun came along, Canlie had been renowned amongst the Mount Shu disciples as the only one to be able to sense the _qi_ , or aura, of a person or a demon. When Yixing had first met Canlie in his village, Canlie had been able to sense that the bandit chief had a demonic aura, and when they had been travelling to Mount Shu, Canlie had also mentioned that Shixun’s aura was unlike that of a human’s. At that time, Yixing had assumed that being able to sense auras was a skill that all Mount Shu disciples possessed, but it was only after joining Mount Shu that Yixing realised that this was a skill unique to only Canlie, something that even the other Sons of Mount Shu respected him for. When Shixun joined the ranks of the Mount Shu disciples, everyone had been pleasantly surprised that Shixun possessed this innate skill too, and though Shixun never boasted of it, everyone could sense that his ability to sense auras probably surpassed that of Canlie. Yixing had been inwardly glad that no one besides Canlie and Shixun had this skill. This meant that only Canlie could tell that Shixun’s aura was different, neither similar to a human’s or a demon’s, and though they never spoke of it, Yixing knew that he could count on Canlie to maintain Shixun’s privacy and not mention it to anyone.

 

“I can’t sense anything,” said Canlie. “I can only sense remnants of demon _qi_ if it’s very recent. How about you, Ninth _shidi_? Do you sense anything?”

 

“They went this way,” said Shixun, pointing the way down the valley. The route led deeper into the mountain range.

 

“Can you tell what type of demon is it?” asked Xiumin.

 

“The demon _qi_ is very faint, so I might be wrong, but I think it might be a _chi_ , a hornless dragon. It’s old, very old. And powerful.”

 

For the first time, Shixun looked slightly worried. He sidled up closer to Yixing, and Yixing knew that for this entire expedition, Shixun was going to stick to his side like glue, so that he could protect Yixing from all possible harm.

 

Shixun led the way down the valley, following the trail of demon _qi_ only he could sense. Shixun kept a close eye on Yixing. Whenever Yixing lagged more than an arm’s length away from Shixun, or when another Son of Mount Shu spoke to Yixing and took Yixing’s attention away from Shixun for a while, Shixun would slow down and wait for Yixing to catch up, or sometimes even tug Yixing gently by the sleeve to manoeuvre Yixing back to his side.

 

“If the demon is a hornless dragon, he won’t be as powerful as you right?” Yixing said quietly, so that only Shixun could hear.

 

“If we were the same age, he definitely wouldn’t be. I’m a full-fledged dragon, and he’s only a hornless one. But I think this one is old, and Shixun is not even 500 years old yet. If either of my brothers were here, it wouldn’t be a problem at all, but now there’s only Shixun… …. and it’s possible that maybe Shixun had never been very hardworking when it comes to practising martial arts or _fashu_ … … It could be that maybe Shixun had always been a little bit too playful, always relying on my second brother or Liying jie-jie to bail me out whenever my father and oldest brother scolded me for neglecting my training… … If only Shixun knew back then that one day something like this would happen, Shixun would have trained harder, then Shixun would have more confidence in protecting Yixing ge-ge, and… …”

 

“It’ll be alright, Shixun. We’ll face the enemy together. You and me, all of us. No matter what comes, we’ll be together when we face it, and that is what counts right?”

 

Shixun smiled, and despite everything, the worry and impending fight, Yixing was struck by how beautiful Shixun was. Shixun’s shoulders relaxed, and Yixing was happy to see the tension let out of Shixun somewhat.

 

They were deep into the mountains. Unlike Mount Shu, the mountains here were hot and humid, covered in verdant and lush greenery. The trees and plant cover here was thick. Their feet could hardly find empty space to land as they leapt past, branches and leaves often getting in their way, brushing against their face and tangling in their hair.

 

Suddenly, Shixun stopped.

 

“There’s someone coming towards us.” Shixun said, cocking his head to the left, straining his ears.

  
Yixing listened hard too, but could not hear anything.

 

“It’s Second _shixiong_!” said Shixun, his expression clearing up.

 

And then, Yixing could hear it too. Someone making his way through the jungle, the sounds of the foliage being brushed aside, the sounds of footsteps. The rhythm of the sounds was consistent with the steps of Mount Shu _qinggong_.

 

Right on cue, Junmian appeared through the foliage, landing neatly in front of them.

 

“Second _shixiong_!”

 

The Sons of Mount Shu crowded around Junmian, relieved to see him. The normally immaculate Mount Shu disciple was unkempt, his robes torn and dirty.

 

“I knew I could count on all of you to come.”

 

“We’re so glad that you are alright. We were all so worried,” said Chen.

 

“Where is Seventh _shidi_?” asked Xiumin.

 

“He is trapped in the demon’s lair. I’ve tried many times to rescue him, but have failed every time. Each time, I’ve barely managed to escape.”

 

“What kind of demon is he?” ask Canlie. “Ninth _shidi_ said that he might be a _chi_ demon.”

 

“I must admit I don’t know. When we exchanged blows, I have never managed to push him to the extent that he had to show his real form.”

 

“Where’s his lair?”

 

Junmian led the way. Shixun practically plastered himself to Yixing’s side. They came to a cliff, a towering steep wall of rock halfway up a mountain. In the middle of the cliff, there was huge gaping hole. Dark and foreboding, it tunnelled inwards, into the darkness within.

 

“Seventh _shidi_ is in that cave. But to get to him, we have to battle the _chi_ demon first. I’ve checked the surroundings thoroughly, there is no other entrance except this one.”

 

“So we just barge in?” asked Boxian.

 

“We call out a challenge, and wait for the demon to answer. Barging in unannounced will only endanger Seventh _shidi_ ’s life.” Junmian sighed. “If only we had already fully mastered the Eight Trigrams Formation.”

 

After Yixing had become a Son of Mount Shu, he had learnt the reason why Mount Shu had held the entrance examinations. The three grandmasters of Mount Shu had developed a new sword fighting technique based on the Taoist Eight Trigrams. Eight people were needed in the formation. But at that time, Mount Shu only had six disciples ‒Xiumin, Junmian, Boxian, Chen, Canlie and Jingxiu, who had been apprenticed to Mount Shu since they were young, and had grown up in Mount Shu. The masters of Mount Shu had been very happy with these six disciples and had never intended to accept more until the Eight Trigram formation made this necessary. Thus, they had held the first Mount Shu entrance examinations, hoping to select two more students. However, only Kai was found worthy, and thus, the need for a second Mount Shu examination. The intent was to recruit just one more, but because both Yixing and Shixun were both deemed worthy, Mount Shu now had a total of nine disciples, with an unintentional additional one.

 

“The Sons of Mount Shu ask for entrance.” Junmian’s voice was soft, but yet it could be clearly heard within a one-mile radius, a mark of how good his inner strength was.

 

A deep booming laugh echoed from within the cave. In a flurry of fluttering cloth, a black robed figure emerged, landing elegantly and grandly in front of them. When the demon looked up, Yixing was stunned by how good looking he was.

 

“My beautiful Junmian, I am so glad that you are back. I have missed you and longed for you. And I see that you have brought even more pretty flowers for me. Each one of you is prettier than the last. What do they feed you at Mount Shu that every one of you are as lovely as fairies? Dew from the heavens?”

 

“We are here for our Seventh _shidi_. He is a Son of Mount Shu, and Mount Shu demands his immediate release.”

 

“Release Kai? My darling Junmian, I would give you anything you ask for, except this. How can you ask this of me? I had thought the princess of Dali was the most beautiful being in this world, but that was only until I had set eyes on Kai. Only at the instant my eyes fell on Kai, then did I know how ignorant I had been for 2,000 years, because it was only then I had found what true beauty is. But look at me, how I can praise only Kai and neglect you? Be rest assured beloved Junmian, you are just as beautiful. Release Kai? Not only is that not going to happen, I am going to make you mine. You, and all your lovely fellow disciples. I have been alone for 2,000 years, doing nothing but cultivating The Way. It has been a lonely journey, and now that I have attained the level that I want to, it is time I enjoy life. I would have been satisfied with just Kai, but having set eyes on you, how can I not want you too? And I would have been satisfied with just you and Kai, but seeing how lovely all of you are, I would not rest until every one of you is mine.”

 

“Release Seventh _shidi_ now. Or face the wrath of Mount Shu.”

 

The demon laughed, his laughter cold and booming.

 

“Did you not hear a single word I said, pretty little Junmian? I have cultivated The Way for 2,000 years. Mount Shu is renowned, but what are all your ages added up altogether? Would it amount to 2,000 years? I have attained a level that other demons flee from me. Even immortals will hesitate to go up against me. Even proper horned dragons will not be able to defeat me, especially young immature dragons who have not even come of age, small little dragons who should be hiding behind the folds of their father’s or their older brothers’ robes, instead of coming to challenge me.”

 

The demon’s gaze slid pointedly over Shixun as he said this. Shixun flushed, the angriest Yixing had ever seen him. Shixun tensed, his _qi_ boiling within him. He looked to be on the verge of leaping straight at the demon. Yixing grabbed Shixun around the wrist. When Shixun met his eyes, Yixing shook his head very subtlety, and Yixing relaxed when Shixun calmed down.

 

Canlie was staring at them. Yixing’s eyes happened to meet Canlie’s, and in that instant their gazes connected, Yixing knew that Canlie had figured out who Shixun was, had realised that Shixun was none other than the silver dragon who had come to their aid when they had been battling the bear demon in Yixing’s village.

 

“You said that you would agree to anything I ask of you.”

 

“Yes, of course, my beautiful little Junmian. What is it that you want?”

 

“The Nine Sons of Mount Shu challenge you to a duel. If we win, you let our Seventh _shidi_ go.”

 

“And if I win?”

 

“I stay and accompany you.”

 

“Only you? Oh no, I do not want only you. Didn’t I make myself clear? I want all of you. If I win, all of you stay with me.”

 

“Very well. We agree to your terms. But we want to see Seventh _shidi_ now. We need to know if he’s safe and well. Bring him out here.”

 

“So many demands. Very well. I will bring Kai out. All of you will be joining him soon, but the beautiful boy has been asking for you every day, so I might as well let him see you a little earlier since he misses you so much.”

 

In another elegant flurry of robes, the demon disappeared within the cave. When he appeared, he was carrying Kai in his arms. Kai was bound in ropes, but other than that, he looked well, his appearance neat and immaculate as always.

 

“Release Seventh _shidi_ and let him fight with us.”

 

“No, of course I can’t do that. What if you run off with him once I release him? Anyway that wasn’t part of our deal. The deal was I release him if you win. You haven’t won yet.”

 

“The deal was the Nine Sons of Mount Shu challenge you to a duel. Seventh _shidi_ is part of the Nine Sons of Mount Shu. If we lose, you get all of us, including him back.”

 

“Very well. You are lucky you are so beautiful, Junmian. If it were anyone else, I would have killed him by now for testing my patience, but how can I say no to you?”

 

With a wave of his hand, the ropes disappeared, a mark of how powerful the demon’s _fashu_ was. Kai leapt to their side, in between Xiumin and Chen. Xiumin and Chen both put their arms protectively around him.

 

“Eldest _shixiong_ , Third _shidi_ and me, we do a direct frontal attack. When the demon is answering our attack, Fourth _shidi_ , Sixth _shidi_ and Seventh _shidi_ attack from the left. Fifth _shidi_ , Eighth _shidi_ and Ninth _shidi_ attack from the right.”

 

The Sons of Mount Shu fell into formation. The demon looked on, amused. Junmian led the attack, Xiumin and Boxian flanking him. They leapt in the air sword pointing forward. When the demon answered their attack with his own palm, the three of them twirled their swords, the blades spinning in deadly circles following the motion of their wrists. But that was when their synchronisation ended. The three of them stopped the spin at different angles. Junmian did a direct frontal stab to the demon’s heart, engaging the demon head on. Boxian supported him from his side, a side downward slash to the demon’s stomach. Xiumin had somersaulted to the back of the demon, and his sword sliced down at the back of the demon’s neck. The demon casually moved to the side, the movement slight, and yet, it managed to find the exact spot which was the blind spot for all their attacks, and the blades of the three Mount Shu disciples pierced into empty air. The demon seemed to move unhurriedly, but his speed was inhumanly fast.

 

The demon had no time to relax in his current position. By this time, Chen, Jingxiu and Kai reached him. The three-pronged attack forced the demon to have to retreat. He moved backwards, covering much ground in a casual step, so that the three swords were chasing him, always a hair’s breath away, almost reaching him, but not quite.

 

Canlie, Yixing and Shixun had been in their starting stance, standing sideways, their legs parted and knees bent, their swords held aloft it their right hands, parallel to their left arms which they held horizontally outstretched. In unison, they withdrew their leg legs back towards their bodies, and using it to springboard themselves forward with their swords pointed forwards. The demon answered with a blow of his own, his palm sweeping in a deadly arc around him. Though the demon wielded no weapon, but because of his high inner strength, being hit by his palm alone would cause significant injury. This forced both Canlie and Yixing to have to abandoned their attack and spring backwards, but Shixun accurately anticipated the projectile of the demon’s move and he switched stroke in mid-air, effectively dodging the demon’s blow while also attacking the demon’s weak spot. He had changed _jianfa_ in mid-air, Yixing realised, from the Mount Shu _jianfa_ to his own. The demon’s reflexes were too good unfortunately. He attacked Shixun with a palm towards his heart, forcing Shixun to abandon the attack and change the trajectory of his sword to defend himself instead.

 

The demon mostly focused on Shixun, attacking only him while smoothly dodging the attacks of the other Mount Shu disciples without even bothering to counter-attack, as if only Shixun was worth his time. Even then, it was easy to see the great disparity between Shixun and the demon. Shixun’s attacks were hurried and forceful, overly aggressive to compensate for the power gap, whereas the demon was still, calm, his every move seemingly casual, yet he always blocked or attacked Shixun at just the exact spot that would render Shixun’s efforts useless.

 

“Get into the Eight Trigrams Formation.”

 

A spark of discomfort rose within Yixing. The Eight Trigrams Formation was the most powerful sword formation in Mount Shu, and Yixing could understand why Junmian would choose to use it against the demon. The problem was that Yixing was a new disciple. Mount Shu’s _rumen jianfa_ was the only Mount Shu sword style Yixing had truly mastered so far. For the Eight Trigrams Formation, he only knew the physical strokes, but not the accompanying inner strength technique. This meant that without the proper _qi_ usage to back up his strokes, Yixing’s part of the Eight Trigrams Formation will only have the form, and not the substance. He was going to be their weakest link.

 

Following Junmian’s instruction, Yixing got into formation together with the rest, each of them taking one edge of the octagon of the Toaist Eight Trigram, framing the demon and Shixun duelling in the centre.

 

The Eight Sons of Mount Shu attacked.

 

Each of their sword strokes were different, but they complemented one another perfectly. As according to the principles of the Taoist Eight Trigram, half of them were _yang_ , and the other half were _yin_. Both _yin_ and _yang_ blended perfectly and smoothly, the whole formation coming together so well that every one of their weak points was protected by another member of the formation.

 

Under the combined efforts of Shixun and the Eight Trigram Formation, the demon was showing the first signs of strain. Until this point, he had not bothered to retaliate against any of the Sons of Mount Shu, declaring every one of them too pretty to damage, but now he was forced to strike back. While playing his part in the formation, Yixing was careful to not actually exchange blows with the demon, lest the entire formation come to naught.

 

Junmian bent down, his lowered centre of gravity allowing his leg and his sword to spin in a stationary circle at knee-level, forcing the demon to have to jump upwards. But, Kai, the _yin_ to Junmian’s _yang_ in the Eight Trigram Formation, had leapt into the air, his sword posed to strike at the exact position where the demon was. The demon turned in mid-air. Kai’s sword pierced the air next to his throat, missing by mere inches. But in that exact moment, Shixun’s sword hit home, piercing the demon in the heart. The demon screamed in pain, a cry that echoed through the mountains.

 

For any other foe, this would have been a fatal blow, but the demon protected his wound with his _qi_. He somersaulted backwards, pulling himself out from Shixun’s blade while landing a kick to Shixun’s chest.

 

Shixun was flung backwards. Shixun’s head was about to hit stone wall of the cliff, when Yixing broke formation. Shooting through the air, Yixing caught Shixun by the waist, managing to reach Shixun just in time before Shixun hit the cliff. Pressing both heels against the cliff face as leverage, Yixing desperately tried to launch himself, with Shixun in tow, back into his rightful place in the formation, but it was too late. By this time, the demon had transformed into his real form, a dirty great earthy hornless dragon, and he was standing right at the spot of the formation where Yixing should have been. Mount Shu’s Eight Trigram Formation was broken.

 

“ _Zi Yan Chuan Lin_ ,” Junmian commanded.  _Zi Yan Chuan Lin_ , or Purple Swallow Cuts Through The Forest, was the third sword stroke in Mount Shu’s _Tai Yi Xuan Men jianfa_ , created by _Tai Yi_ , one of the ancestors of Mount Shu. It was a high-level _jianfa_ that neither Yixing nor Shixun had yet to learn, but the other Sons of Mount Shu were adept at. In tandem, the seven of them rotated on their heels, tunnelling in the air in an upward spiral motion, swords pointed forwards, swift as swallows.

 

The hornless dragon was faced with seven swords barrelling towards him. He answered Boxian head on, his powerful jaws snapping at him, forcing Boxian to stop short. Swinging his head from left to right, he knocked Kai and Jingxiu off their feet. A mighty swipe of his tail, and he sent Canlie, Chen and Junmian flying backwards. Only Xiumin’s blade hit its mark, piercing into the soft underbelly. With a bloodcurdling shriek, the hornless dragon smashed his entire body sideways into Xiumin. Xiumin crashed into the trunk of a nearby tree. The entire tree shook at the impact, sending showers of leaves fluttering down.

 

With Xiumin’s sword still buried to the hilt in his underbelly, the hornless dragon lunged at Yixing and Shixun. Yixing barely had time to push Shixun out of the way. Yixing held his sword aloft, standing his ground with his sword held in a ready stance, though he knew that it was a fruitless attempt. The hornless dragon was bearing down upon him, and any one of its teeth were ten times larger than his sword.

 

Just before the hornless dragon was about to bite down on Yixing’s head, the hornless dragon was suddenly pushed to the side, so that its attack missed Yixing entirely. A shiny silver dragon had barrelled into him. Unlike the demon, this dragon was a full-fledged one, with a majestic set of horns protruding from its brow. However, it was much smaller in size than the earthy hornless dragon. Only two-thirds in length, and slimmer, not as thick in girth. What the silver dragon did not have in size, it made up with its speed and aggression. It fought with a fierce intensity, fuelled by the outrage it had felt when the hornless dragon had tried to harm his precious Yixing ge-ge.

 

The two dragons took to the air. The other Sons of Mount Shu stayed grounded, watching in open-mouthed shock. The two dragons writhed in the air, coiled around each other, continuously spiralling as they both tried to overpower the other. It started out as an even stalemate, but after some time, Yixing could tell that Shixun was starting to lose. The hornless dragon was using his bigger bulk to slowly but surely overpower Shixun.

 

Yixing threw out his sword, ready to fly to Shixun’s aid, never mind the fact that his martial arts was the weakest of all present. He was going to give his all to defend Shixun, or die trying. Yixing was about to launch himself into the air, when suddenly, a great roar reverberated through the heavens. All eyes were drawn upwards, and suddenly, against the backdrop of clear blue sky and shining golden sun, a great white dragon burst forth, seemingly to emerge from the sun itself. The rays of the sun reflected off its shimmering scales, casting the white dragon in a golden glow.

 

Like Shixun, the white dragon was a full-fledged horned one. The white dragon however, was larger than Shixun, matching the earthy hornless dragon in size. It launched itself into the fray, forcing the hornless dragon and Shixun to separate. Putting himself in between Shixun and the hornless dragon, the white dragon moved in to attack, while bodily shielding Shixun at the same time. Shixun stayed behind the white dragon for a time, but seemed to gather himself and he re-entered the fray. He attacked the hornless dragon from the side, backing the white dragon up. But it was apparent that the white dragon didn’t need much help at all. The white dragon quickly overpowered the hornless one. His powerful coils holding the struggling hornless dragon in place even as his strong jaws snapped the hornless dragon’s neck. The hornless dragon went limp. The white dragon released him. The hornless dragon fell from the sky, landing in the mountains range below with an earth-shaking thud.

 

The white dragon and the silver dragon both hung suspended in the air, silently regarding each as their bodies swayed from side to side in undulating waves. Because Yixing knew Shixun so well, he could tell that Shixun was apprehensive, nervous. Then, the white dragon leaned over, tilting his head to side so that the side of his face rubbed Shixun’s cheek, the bottom of his bearded chin rubbing over the top of Shixun’s horned head, in a manner that was both protective and affectionate. Shixun leaned into the touch, and nuzzled back as well.

 

When the two dragons broke apart, they both made their way to the forest mountain cliff side, where the Sons of Mount Shu were standing. At the sight of the two dragons coming towards them, all the Sons of Mount Shu except Yixing dropped to their knees, paying their respects to the great dragon deities before them. Yixing stood up straight, even as the silver dragon headed directly towards him. Just when it appeared as if the huge bulk of the silver dragon was going to crash into him, the silver dragon shimmered and transformed, and it was a human form that fell straight into Yixing’s waiting arms.

 

Yixing hugged his dragon tightly to him, holding Shixun for a long time. If Yixing had a choice, he would keep Shixun in his arms forever, safe from the world. Abruptly remembering Shixun’s injuries, Yixing let go of the boy. Taking a step back, he held Shixun by the shoulders and inspected Shixun from head to toe. To Yixing’s horror, Shixun was indeed bleeding from multiple wounds.

 

“Don’t worry, Yixing ge-ge. Shixun will be alright. They’re just superficial wounds. I’ll heal completely in a day or two.”

 

Based on the experience of their first encounter, Yixing knew this to be true. Only then, Yixing relaxed, letting out the breath he did not know he had been holding. Yixing looked over. Besides himself, Shixun and the other Sons of Mount Shu, there was also an unfamiliar young man standing on the foot of the cliff together with them.

 

While the white dragon had been larger than Shixun in dragon form, in human form, he was slight, petite almost. He was shorter than Shixun, slim and lithe. He had a small face. His most striking facial feature was his eyes. Big and bright, they seemed to be perpetually watery and sparkling. His skin was pale and smooth, his long hair smooth and glossy, part of it tied up neatly at the top of his head, and the rest cascading down his back. He was wearing beige-coloured silk robes, embroidered with an elaborate light blue fringe at the sleeves and the folds over his chest. He held himself with a bearing of elegance and nobility, looking nothing like the fearsome dragon they all had just witnessed, but more like a delicate high-born scholar.

 

“Arise,” he said simply.

 

Heeding him, the Sons of Mount Shu who had been kneeling got up hesitantly to their feet.

 

“Shixun, who is this?”

 

Shixun bit his lip, playing with at the edge of Yixing’s sleeve, worrying the cloth in between his fingers.

 

“My second brother.”

 

Shixun’s second brother? That would be Lu Han, Second Son of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea.

 

Hesitantly, Shixun tugged Yixing forward, so that Yixing was standing in front of Lu Han.

 

“Second Brother,” said Shixun cutely, masking his nervousness with bright nonchalance. “This is Yixing ge-ge. Yixing ge-ge, greet Second Brother!”

 

Lu Han held out a hand, palm facing Yixing, stopping Yixing before he could say anything.

 

“I believe the correct term of address is Second Dragon Prince.”

 

Lu Han’s face was calm, placid. His voice carried no hostility, but it carried no warmth either. Nevertheless, his words were like a slap to Yixing’s face. The fact that Lu Han wanted Yixing to address him with his proper rank, and not as Second Brother like how Shixun addressed him, showed that he saw Yixing as an outsider, that he did not accept Yixing’s relationship with Shixun.

 

“Second Brother!” Shixun whined in protest. “You haven’t even given Yixing ge-ge a chance! Once you get to know Yixing ge-ge better, you’ll like him. Yixing ge-ge is the best! He saved Shixun when Shixun was injured by Sun Wukong and… …”

 

“So I have heard.”

 

“You have heard?” asked Shixun, perplexed. “But how?”

 

“Liying jie-jie has told me everything.”

 

“What? But she promised me she wouldn’t tell anyone!”

 

“Don’t you go blaming your Liying jie-jie,” said Lu Han sternly. “If there’s anyone at fault, that’s you, Shixun. Our father told you very clearly that you are not to go into the human world until you are of age. And before I left, I told you very clearly that your duty was to be stationed at the Dragon Palace Temple to answer prayers. You disobeyed our father and neglected your duties. You took full advantage of the fact that Father, Eldest Brother and I were not home. Your Eldest Brother was at the Feast of Peaches, and you know how long such banquets drag out. I had gone into the middle of the Eastern Sea to contain the underwater volcano eruption, and while I was there, I found many things that I had to attend to there as well. Most of the underwater population in the far reaches of the Eastern Sea rarely make a trip down to the Dragon King Palace even if they need help, because the journey is too long. So while I was there, they brought all their issues to me, and I found myself staying longer than intended so as to help them. Can you imagine the shock Eldest Brother and I had when we came home and found you missing? We thought you had been abducted by demons! We didn’t know if you were dead or alive! It was only at that point in time, in the face of our worry, did Liying jie-jie confess that you had neither been abducted by demons, nor were in deadly peril, but instead, merely eloped with your human lover.”

 

Shixun lowered his head, approaching his second brother, and tugging his second brother’s hand.

 

“Shixun was wrong. Shixun is sorry. Forgive Shixun, alright?”

 

Shixun looked absolutely contrite. Yixing saw the frostiness thaw out of Lu Han as he regarded his wayward younger brother. Lu Han flicked his finger on Shixun’s forehead. Having not anticipated the move, Shixun received the full force of Lu Han’s finger on his forehead.

 

“Ouch!”

 

Shixun rubbed his forehead, pouting cutely at Lu Han, peeking reproachfully at Lu Han from under his lashes.

 

Lu Han smiled, his expression both fond and exasperated at the same time.

 

“What did I do in my previous life, to have you as my younger brother in this life?”

 

Lu Han reached out and grabbed Shixun’s hand, pulling him away.

 

“Come. You have played enough. It’s time to go home.”

 

“No!” said Shixun, alarmed. He shook off Lu Han’s hand, and jumped back to Yixing’s side. “Shixun is not going home. Shixun is staying here with Yixing ge-ge.”

 

“Shixun.” Lu Han’s voice was firm. “Come. You are in enough trouble as it is.”

 

“Shixun doesn’t want to go back to the Eastern Sea! Yixing ge-ge wants to stay at Mount Shu, because he wants to be a Mount Shu disciple. Shixun will follow Yixing ge-ge! If Yixing ge-ge is not going back to the Eastern Sea, neither will Shixun. Unless… …. Yixing ge-ge is willing to go back to the Eastern Sea with Shixun?”

 

Shixun was looking pleadingly at Yixing, and Yixing’s heart clenched painfully at the sight. Yixing would give the world away, if only to take that look off Shixun’s face. But before Yixing could say anything, Lu Han cut in.

 

“Whether he stays at Mount Shu to be a disciple, or he returns to his village next to the Eastern Sea, is completely irrelevant. Whichever the case, you’re not to see him ever again.”

 

“What?!” Shixun was absolutely shocked. “Second Brother, you can’t do that! You can’t separate me and Yixing ge-ge!”

 

“Second Dragon Prince,” Yixing said, interjecting for the first time. “I know that I am unworthy of Shixun. But I promise you that I would always treasure Shixun, always treat him well. I would protect him to the best of my ability, and make sure that he would never be unhappy on my account.”

 

Shixun beamed brightly at Yixing. “See? Second Brother, Yixing ge-ge treats Shixun the best!”

 

“That is not the point.”

 

“Then what is?” demanded Shixun, pouting.

 

Lu Han sighed. He turned to Yixing. “How old are you?”

 

“Eighteen.”

 

“And do you know how old Shixun is?”

 

“498 this year.”

 

“Do you know how old I am?”

 

Yixing shook his head.

 

“I am about 1,300 years old. Our oldest brother is about 2,000 years old. And our father, about 5,000.”

 

Lu Han stared gravely at Yixing.

 

“How long do you think you will live?”

 

Yixing moved his mouth, but no words came out.

 

“That,” said Lu Han. “Is the point.”

 

Stricken, Yixing could only stare wordlessly at Lu Han.

 

“Let’s assume that you live the longest life a human being can live, but even then, you will live for another 100 years at most. But what happens to Shixun after that? No matter how unwilling you are to do so, because you are mortal, you will leave Shixun alone one day. How is Shixun going to cope when that happens? He will have to live on for thousands and thousands of years, languishing alone. Would you want that for him?”

 

Yixing shook his head.

 

Lu Han turned to Shixun. “You are a dragon. He is a human. Your relationship should never have started in the first place. I was too careless. I should have kept a better watch over you. Since that day you came home after your fight with Sun Wukong, I knew that you were leaving the Dragon Palace early every morning, and coming back only at night, but I had thought that you were merely slacking off from your studies and martial arts training as usual, to go out to play with your sea creature friends. I never expected you to be spending time with this human every day on his fishing boat. But what is done is done. The only thing we can do now to minimise the damage is to cut off the relationship right now.”

 

“No!” Shixun was in tears. He flung his arms around Yixing. Yixing hugged his teary dragon close to him. “Yixing ge-ge and Shixun will stay together forever, isn’t that right, Yixing ge-ge?”

 

“If Shixun is this upset about separating from you after he has known you for only two years, how is he going to react when he loses you after you’ve spent the duration of a human lifespan together? For the two of you, separation is inevitable. Doing so sooner rather than later will help lessen the pain.”

 

Lu Han’s well-measured logic was like a cold hard knife digging into Yixing’s heart, but he could not deny the wisdom of the words.

 

“Shixun,” Yixing said reluctantly. “Your second brother is right.”

 

“No!” Till the day he died, Yixing knew he would never forget the look on Shixun’s face. It was a mixture of shock, hurt, disbelief, but most heart-wrenchingly, betrayal. “Yixing ge-ge can’t be saying this.”

“I don’t want to separate from Shixun either. But if it will be better for Shixun in the long run, then… …”

 

“No, Yixing ge-ge, please.” Shixun sounded absolutely piteous as he clutched the front of Yixing’s robes. “Shixun knows Yixing ge-ge dotes on Shixun. Yixing ge-ge places Shixun above himself. But there is always something Yixing ge-ge places above Shixun‒ your family, fishing, becoming a Mount Shu disciple. But for Shixun, ever since the day I met Yixing ge-ge, Yixing ge-ge has always been the most important. Shixun won’t obstruct Yixing ge-ge from doing the things that you want to do. All Shixun asks for is to be allowed to be by Yixing ge-ge’s side. Will Yixing ge-ge not allow even that?”

 

Yixing gently cupped Shixun’s face. His cheeks were wet with tears, and Yixing’s heart broke.

 

“Shixun, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. Every day I spent with you was like a gift from the heavens. But, your brother is right.”

 

“No!” Shixun flung himself back into Yixing’s embrace, clinging to Yixing like he had never done before. “Shixun will never leave Yixing ge-ge!”

 

“Shixun.” Lu Han put a hand on Shixun’s shoulder. “Prolonging the goodbye would only make it more painful. Come, let us go.”

 

Shixun pushed Lu Han’s hand off his shoulder. It was not a simple push. It was a move reinforced by _qi_. Shixun had attacked his brother with a martial arts move.

 

Lu Han answered the move, his hand sliding under Shixun’s arm and pushing it to the from the side, so that Shixun’s strike did not hit Lu Han’s person. The two brothers exchanged blows. The slanted base of Shixun’s hand struck out towards Lu Han’s face, but Lu Han slanted his body to the left, so Shixun’s hand hit empty air. Shixun was quick to hit to the left, but Lu Han slanted his body to the right, and Shixun’s blow hit empty air once more.

 

When Shixun’s move had ended, the split moment in time when the energy of the move petered out, and Shixun was gathering his _qi_ for his next move, Lu Han struck. Using his left elbow, he forced Shixun’s arms down, exposing Shixun’s entire torso. In his right hand, he had his second finger and middle finger pointed forwards, the rest folded down. His fingers shot through the air, aimed straight at the base of Shixun’s throat. Because it was a move reinforced by _qi_ , if it had found its mark, the person on the receiving end of the blow would surely die.

 

But Lu Han held back at the last moment, the two fingers hanging suspended in the air just before he actually hit Shixun’s throat.

 

Nevertheless, the winner of the fight was painfully clear.

 

“Second Brother doesn’t dote on Shixun at all!” Shixun burst into a fresh wave of tears. He squatted down on the ground, hugging his knees. “Nobody loves Shixun! If Mother were alive, she wouldn’t let everyone bully Shixun like this.”

 

Unable to bear seeing Shixun like this, Yixing hugged his sobbing dragon to him.

 

“Shixun, the difference in our lifespans… …”

 

“When Yixing ge-ge dies, Shixun will die together with Yixing ge-ge!”

 

“How can you say that!” Lu Han’s face was deathly pale. He pulled Shixun to his feet, away from Yixing, and Yixing let him. “What would happen to Father, Oldest Brother and me if you died? Have you no love for us?”

 

“I love you, Second Brother,” Shixun said tearfully, and Lu Han hugged him. “But Second Brother, Shixun loves Yixing ge-ge so much. Shixun cannot live without Yixing ge-ge… …”

 

Lu Han patted Shixun on the head. And suddenly, Shixun closed his eyes and went limp. Lu Han caught him before he fell.

 

“What happened to him?” Yixing rushed to Shixun’s side.

 

“He’s fine, not hurt in any way. I just put him to sleep with my _fashu_. Shixun has always been stubborn, and he’s not in the mood to listen to any form of reason right now. We’re getting nowhere with this conversation. I’ll bring him back to the Dragon Palace first, then talk to him again.”

 

Yixing knew this was for the best. This did not stop his heart from sinking, as if a heavy stone were placed on it.

 

Lu Han looked at Yixing, his gaze penetrating.

 

“Shixun is young, innocent. He doesn’t know the ways of a relationship between a man and another man.”

 

It was phrased as a statement, not as a question. Nevertheless, Yixing understood what Lu Han was asking him.

 

“Shixun and I have a gentleman’s relationship. I have never done anything… …. inappropriate towards Shixun.”

 

Lu Han nodded. “You are a true gentleman, and I appreciate that.”

 

He turned to other Sons of Mount Shu, addressing them all. “My younger brother is young, he tends to do what he wants to do without thinking of the consequences. I thank Mount Shu for taking care of him for the past year.”

 

Junmian put his left hand over his right clenched fist and bowed to Lu Han.

 

“It has been an honour to have had Shixun as one of the Sons of Mount Shu.”

 

“There’s something I haven’t told Shixun because I think he’s already distraught enough. I will tell him later, after we return to the Dragon Palace. But I think I should share this with Mount Shu, because it might affect the human realm as well.”

 

The look on Lu Han’s face was grave.

 

“Our father is missing.”

 

“The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea is missing?”

 

“Our father went to a meeting with the other Dragon Kings who govern the four seas, and the dragons that watch over the major rivers. But he never returned from that meeting. By the time Eldest Brother and I came home and found this out, he had already been missing for a long time. Oldest Brother and I, and the rest of the Dragon Princes from the other seas, went to the meeting venue. It was empty. Not a single dragon in sight. But there were obvious remains of battle, and strong remnants of demon _qi_ lingering in the air. They have all been abducted by demons.”

 

This was unbelievable. What demons could be powerful enough to do this?

 

“In general, demonic activity has increased a lot recently. I’m sure Mount Shu has noticed this as well. And their attacks are not random. They are well calculated, systematic. The fact that the demons dare to show such audacity can only mean one thing. They have a new leader. A new demon king has arisen in our world.”

 

 A silence descended as they all took a moment to digest the implications of this.

 

“If Mount Shu can do anything to help, feel free to let us know,” said Junmian.

 

“I greatly appreciate Mount Shu’s offer, but this will be a fight between the Heavenly Court of the Jade Emperor and the Demon Kingdom. We will not involve mortals in this. Mount Shu has always been the protector of the human realm against demons. I’m afraid that these are difficult times that we live in, and I hope we can continue to depend on Mount Shu to be shield that guards over the world of men.”

 

“Mount Shu stands firm in the fight against demons,” promised Junmian.

 

Lu Han turned to Yixing. “I will transform into my dragon form. After that, put Shixun on my back.”

 

He deposited Shixun into Yixing’s arms. Yixing hugged Shixun tightly to him, knowing this would be the last time he would hold the dragon in his arms. Lu Han shimmered and transformed. A majestic white dragon stood before them, pure and beautiful. Yixing gently carried Shixun in his arms, and laid him down in a sitting position on Lu Han’s back, at the juncture where his neck met the back of his head. Yixing gazed upon Shixun’s sleeping face. His fingers traced over his skin, his cheekbones, his nose, carving every detail of Shixun’s facial features into memory.

 

“Shixun, my dragon, I will always love you and only you. I will never love anyone else for the rest of my life. In the days ahead, when I am not by your side, please take care of yourself. Please, be well and happy, always.”

 

Yixing pressed a kiss on Shixun’s forehead. His eyes closed for the duration of the kiss, and two streams of tears leaked out unbidden from the corner of his eyes, trailing down his cheeks.

 

Yixing stepped back. Lu Han took to the air, taking Shixun with him.

 

Yixing watched them go. Canlie stepped up to Yixing, putting an arm around him, allowing Yixing to lean his weight on him. Yixing was grateful for this. If not, he would not have trusted his knees to be able to hold him in an upright position.

 

The Eight Sons of Mount Shu stood on the mountain, the cliff face behind them, watching the white dragon disappear into the distant cloud cover.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rumen Jianfa = the introductory sword strokes taught when new disciples enter the sect, the most basic jianfa that students have to master before they move on to more difficult skills
> 
> Dali (大理) is a vassal kingdom in ancient China, from AD 937 to AD 1253
> 
> Chi (螭) refers to a hornless dragon
> 
> The Eight Trigram or Bagua (八卦) is taoist symbol. Usually framed in an octogan, it has a circle in the centre, half black and half white, with a black dot within the white, and a white dot within the black. The circle is framed with three rows of lines on each side of the octogan. 
> 
> I borrowed Zi Yan Chuan Lin (紫燕穿林), Master Tai Yi (太乙) and Tai Yi Xuan Men Jian (太乙玄门剑) from Wudang (武当), a real-life martial arts sect in China


	10. Chapter 10

“One, two. One, two.”

 

The lantern, made of wooden panels lined with red paper, was so massive, four grown men were needed to hoist it up. In unison, counting out loud to keep the pace, they pulled a rope connected to the lantern over a make-shift pulley, in order to hoist the lantern up to the tip of the wooden pole they had erected in front of the village temple. The village folk gathered by the side to watch the men as they worked. This lantern was important, made by the collective effort of the villagers over the course of the past few weeks, meant as an offering to the gods for the upcoming _Yuan Xiao_ Festival.

 

The lantern was almost all the way to the top, when the rope snapped. The massive lantern came crashing to the ground.

 

The village chief, who had been standing right under the lantern to direct the operations, stared in open-mouthed shock as the massive weight bore down on him.

 

Men shouted. Women gasped. A child screamed.

 

Suddenly, an elegant flurry of flowing white robes cut through the crowd. He moved so fast that the villagers barely saw the movement of his feet as they barely skimmed the surface of the ground as he treaded lightly through air. The village chief was pushed out of harm’s way, and the white-robed figure took his place beneath the falling lantern. Just when it seemed like the lantern would crash into the man, he bent over backwards, his palms touching the ground. He lifted his right leg in a kick. The sole of his foot met with the base of the lantern, and the massive lantern soared all the way back to the top of the pole. As fast as the lantern was, the young man was even faster. He had righted himself and leapt to the top of the pole, reaching it at the same time as the lantern even though he had been below it. He caught the frayed end of the rope and tied it securely so that the lantern stayed where it was, swaying gently at the top of the pole.

 

The young man landed neatly on the ground at the base of the lantern, his long white robes trailing behind him. The villagers burst into cheers and applause, causing the young man to duck his head shyly. The village chief stepped up to the young man, and the young man greeted him with a bow, his left palm over his right clenched fist.

 

“Thank you, _daxia_. You saved my life.”

 

“And thank you for saving our lantern!”

 

“Your martial arts is so good!”

 

“You’re in white. Are you from Mount Shu?”

 

“I’m Zhang Yixing,” said the young man.

 

A collective gasp of recognition went up from amongst the crowd.

 

“You’re the Eighth Son of Mount Shu!”

 

Yixing smiled and nodded, acknowledging the fact. The villagers looked absolutely delighted to have a Son of Mount Shu in their midst. Thanking Yixing profusely, they invited Yixing to stay for a meal, but Yixing politely declined, as according to the Mount Shu code of conduct. Mount Shu disciples were duty-bound to serve anyone in need, but were strictly forbidden to receive any form of payment, especially from the poor.

 

Taking his leave of the villagers, Yixing headed off towards the exit of the village. The adults let him go, giving him space and showing him respect, but the children of the village had no such inhibitions. They gathered round Yixing, moving with him as he walked, chattering excitedly.

 

“You’re my favourite Son of Mount Shu!” a girl with big bright eyes declared. “When the storyteller comes to our village, I always request stories about you!”

 

“My favourite is the story of how you battled with the White Bone Demon!”

 

Yixing smiled. While he had indeed subdued a White Bone Demon, he was sure that the original version of events was a lot less embellished that what storytellers were telling impressionable young kids.

 

“Well, mine is about the time you fought with the Hundred-eyed Demon Lord. The storyteller said you summoned the East Wind!”

 

Yixing laughed at that. “I can’t summon the wind.”

 

“Summoning the wind is nothing. Yixing _daxia_ can even summon dragons.”

 

Yixing stopped in his tracks. It was like a knife had stabbed straight into his heart.

 

“Summon dragons? No way!”

 

“Yes, way! My uncle’s cousin’s brother-in-law swore he was there when it happened. Yixing _daxia_ wasn’t even a Mount Shu disciple then, but he was already fighting a bear demon. It happened in the temple of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. Yixing _daxia_ summoned a dragon to help him fight the bear demon, and a big silver dragon answered his summons.”

 

“Wooooowwwww… …” The children all sounded impressed.

 

“I can’t summon dragons.”

 

There must have been something in Yixing’s tone, because the crowd of children instantaneously fell silent. They blinked up at Yixing, wide-eyed.

 

Yixing swallowed, angry at himself. The children were not at fault at all, and Yixing should have controlled his emotions better.

 

“I’m glad to have come to your village. I’m happy that no damage came to your lantern, and I’m happy to have come here and met you all,” Yixing said kindly, and the children broke into smiles, clamouring excitedly around him once more, as if the awkward moment never happened.

 

Children were quick to forgive and forget, but for Yixing, the freshly re-opened wound in his heart was not so easy to dismiss. Feeling suddenly weary, he had an overwhelming need to be alone. Careful not to hit any of the children clustered around him, Yixing threw out the Qing Gang Sword. It enlarged and hovered expectantly at knee-level. The children all gasped, impressed. They were all requesting rides, but Yixing only smiled kindly at them all. Waving at the children, Yixing took to the air. The children waved back, their expressions a mix of excitement of watching Yixing fly and disappointment that Yixing was leaving.

 

Yixing waved at the children until they were out of sight, and then, Yixing found himself alone again. He let go of the breath that he had been holding and the brave front that he had been putting on. It was a fine day, the weather perfect for flying. It was bright and sunny, yet the air was cold and crisp with the freshness of spring hanging in the air. He flew steadily, emptying his mind and his emotions, just focusing on the wind in his face, the rolling scenery beneath his feet, and the sun and clouds in the horizon.

 

After flying for some time, Yixing found what had been looking for. He could see it in the distance, smell it in the salty twang in the air.

 

The Eastern Sea.

 

Flying smoothly on his sword, Yixing flew past the shoreline, where the sea met the land, until he was skimming the surface of the water. Seagulls flew above, crying out to him. Beneath him, the waves moved and rolled, reflecting the bright sunshine, as if the ocean was adorned with bright ever-moving sparkling gems. As he flew, Yixing watched his shadow on the water surface, its shape distorted by the moving waves.

 

Yixing followed the coastline until he spotted a familiar small cove, nestled at the base of a small hill. It was the cusp of spring. Winter was not yet completely over, so there was not much vegetation growing on the hill, just long green grass that bent in the wind. It was a small cove. It would have big enough for perhaps a few boats to be docked, but there were none. Most of the fishermen in the nearby village liked the bigger beach that lay further ahead, with its flat sandy banks that made it easy for boats to be beached, nearer the village, and also nearer the main fishing grounds. All along, it had only been Yixing and his father who had used this cove.

 

Yixing flew his sword to where he used to dock his fishing boat for the night, and gently stepped off it, at the exact spot where his feet used to land after jumping off his boat. A mental command to the _Qing Gang_ Sword, and it shrank back to its normal size and flew back into the scabbard strapped to Yixing’s back. Yixing tread the familiar winding path up the hill. It was a nice walk, with the rustling of the long grass on either side of the path accompanying him.

 

At the top of the hill, the path veered two ways. Yixing took the left one, the one that led deeper into the next knoll, where a little wooden hut stood. The sight of it made Yixing’s heart do a little leap of joy, though this was tinged with sadness once he neared the hut. It was in a state of disrepair, various planks that used to be part of the walls or roof hanging askew. The surrounding vegetation had moved in to reclaim the grounds. Dried leaves scattered the yard. Weeds and runners grew not only across the grounds, but in the house itself, in between the wooden planks. Yixing supposed was to be expected. Nobody lived here now. His mother and younger brothers had long since moved to the big town across the hill, where his younger brothers attended school. They could afford to give Yihan and Yiyun an education with Yixing’s earnings as a Mount Shu disciple, something that would have been unthinkable if Yixing had continued to be a fisherman. Yixing would be visiting them tomorrow, before he continued on his usual patrol around the area that he had been tasked to.

 

Yixing felt a tinge to see the hut which his mother had always taken a quiet pride in so messy and disorderly. But the main structures were still there, the outdoor kitchen, the hen coop, and the well in the yard. His father had dug the well himself, or so Yixing’s parents had told him, since this had happened before Yixing had been born. This was why they had chosen to build their hut here, a lone dwelling on the outskirts of the village instead of within the village itself, because it allowed them the convenience of having their own private well, instead of having to draw water from the communal well in the village. Though of course, Yixing knew this was not the only reason. The main reason, the unsaid one, was that Yixing’s father and mother wanted to build their own little love nest, where it was just them and their children. Though they never said as much to Yixing, he could tell, from the love in their eyes when they spoke to each other, from every word and every touch.

 

Yixing wondered how his father knew to dig the well here, how he had figured out where the underground stream ran just by observing the topography of the hill. As always when he thought of his father, Yixing felt a rush of respect for him. Yixing’s father may have been a simple fisherman, but there was deep wisdom within him, a wealth of knowledge that he had not managed to pass on to Yixing. When Yixing had fished with his father, he had always known where the fish would be. When his father was around, they had always come home with a full catch. Yixing supposed it was just as well that he hadn’t stayed a fisherman. He had been bad at it. His catch had usually been only about half of what his father always brought home. Yixing had only started bring home a full catch when he had met Shixun.

 

Yixing’s heart twisted uncomfortably at the fresh remembrance of Shixun, but he thumped down his feelings ruthlessly. Yixing stepped into the hut itself. Yixing had always remembered the hut to be small, but it was even smaller than he remembered. Nevertheless, it had always been enough, a roof for a family of five to have lived happily under.

 

Yixing turned away from the hut, and took the forested path down the hill towards the village. As he walked, the forested vegetation on either side of the path gave way to cultivated padi fields. After a while, he encountered some farmers ploughing the fields. Yixing recognised them. They were friendly uncles, whom had watch Yixing grow up. Yixing called out to them, greeting them by name. They were delighted to see Yixing, pausing in their chores to gather around Yixing. They talked about how grown-up Yixing seemed now, and how smart he looked his robes, and how he was the pride of the village. Yixing smiled shyly, embarrassed.

 

Yixing entered the village, walking past the gates where two fish-shaped lanterns hung on either side. He made for a wooden hut at the back of the village. It was slow going because Yixing kept meeting people he knew along the way. Despite the delay, Yixing was happy to stop and chat with each of them.

 

Finally, Yixing reached the wooden hut. He pushed open the gate and walked in. Two children, a boy and a girl, were playing in the yard. The girl immediately hid behind the boy. The boy, older and bigger, shielded his sister protectively behind him.

 

“Who are you?” asked the boy bravely. “You’re not from this village.”

 

“Yihang?” asked Yixing, smiling at the boy. Yixing had last seen him when he was a mere babe in arms. He must be four years old now.

 

“And Yilin?” he said, smiling at the girl. He had never met Yilin before, only heard about her through his brothers’ letters to him.

 

“How do you know our names?” asked Yihang.

 

“I’m Yixing, your oldest cousin.”

 

Both children stared at Yixing in awe.

 

“You’re our oldest cousin, Zhang Yixing, who went to the Mount Shu?” asked Yihang.

 

“You’re Second Cousin’s and Third Cousin’s older brother!” said Yilin happily. “They’re always talking about you!”

 

“Yes,” said Yixing, smiling at them both. He took out a package, and carefully unwrapped it to reveal two sticks of candiced hawthorn. He held out the sticks to the two children. Yilin took it readily, but Yihang was more reticent. Yixing smiled, knowing the Yihang’s caution stemmed from wanting to protect his younger sister.

 

“Are your parents home?” Yixing asked.

 

“Father’s not back from the padi fields, but Mother is in the backyard,” said Yilin happily. She promptly scampered to the back, yelling for her mother to come out.

 

“What’s all this noise, Yilin? I keep telling you that you must act more like a girl. Screaming your head off is not lady-like at all and‒ oh my! Yixing!”

 

“Auntie,” greeted Yixing, bowing politely to his aunt, but his aunt only waved off his formality and pulled him into a hug.

 

“You look well, Auntie.”

 

“You’re too skinny,” said Yixing’s aunt, frowning. “Are they not feeding you enough at Mount Shu?”

 

“I’m well-fed, Auntie,” said Yixing smiling. “You always think I’m too skinny, no matter what.”

 

“Have you eaten?”

 

Yixing had indeed not eaten all day. Though Yixing did not say anything, his aunt accurately read the look on his face. She pulled Yixing to the kitchen and sat him down, and set about cooking Yixing a bowl of noodles. Yihang and Yilin followed closely, settling themselves next to Yixing, chewing on their candiced hawthorn and peppering him with questions, Yihang having warmed up to Yixing considerably now that his mother had verified that Yixing was indeed who he said he was.

 

“Yihang, run along to the padi field and tell your father that Yixing is here.”

 

“Auntie, I wouldn’t want to disrupt Uncle while he is at work,” said Yixing, though as he was saying this, Yihang had already scampered off, Yilin at his heels.

 

“Nonsense! It won’t be any trouble at all. Your uncle would want to see you.”

 

Yixing’s aunt set the bowl of steaming hot noodles in front of Yixing. He had taken a few bites, when his uncle came in.

 

“Yixing.”

 

Upon hearing his name, Yixing immediately got up to greet his uncle. Getting on his hands and knees, he did a formal kow-tow, his forehead touching the floor, the biggest act of respect one could pay to his elder. Yixing would never forget the kindness his uncle had shown him when his father had died, and when Yixing had left the village to attempt the Mount Shu entrance examinations. When Yixing’s uncle helped him to his feet, there were tears in his eyes. Not one to show his emotions, he was quick to blink them away, and he sat Yixing back at the table, bidding him to continue eating his meal. Even after the bowl of noodles was finished, Yixing stayed at the table for a long time, listening as his uncle and aunt filled him in on everything that had happened in the village, who had married whom, who had moved away and who had moved in, and other interesting anecdotes that had happened. Yixing answered Yihang’s questions about life at Mount Shu and his travels, and played with Yilin, who was superbly unconcerned with demon-slaying heroes, but only preoccupied with her oldest cousin, an interesting new character to come into her life.

 

When evening came, Yixing took leave of his aunt and uncle so that he could go to the village chief’s house. Yihang and Yilin walked him there. Once they were out of sight of his uncle’s house, Yixing took out two jade pendants. Large and round, they were made of the highest quality jade and elaborately engraved by the finest craftsman. Yixing knew that his mother had tried giving a portion of the money Yixing sent home every month to his uncle, but his uncle had never accepted the money. Yixing hung the pendants over Yihang’s and Yilin’s necks, instructing them to take good care of the pendants. Jade never really depreciated in value, and Yixing knew they could sell the pendants next time if they ever faced any financial difficulties.  

 

After sending both Yihang and Yilin home, Yixing stopped by at the village chief’s house to pay his respects to the chief and the village elders, before going to the evening market. He made his way to his usual spot in the evening market, and noted that it was taken up by another fish stall now. He recognised the person running it, Genghong. He was a year younger than Yixing. Genghong came from a fishing family too. In fact, his father ran a fish stall just a few stalls down, in which Genghong had helped out in when he was younger. Yixing smiled warmly at Genghong, happy for him that he had come into his own. Then he went to Auntie Ling’s reed basket stall.

 

“Little Yixing!” Auntie Ling said happily, ruffling his hair. Yixing smiled and politely accepted the ruffling. “Uncle Po, look who’s here!”

 

Yixing turned around to see the elderly man slowly pushing his cart up the dirt road. Yixing quickly went over to help him.

 

“Little Yixing!”

 

When Yixing had left the village, Uncle Po was already old, but now, with his sparse white hair and weather-beaten face, he looked even older still. The only young part of him was his eyes, which shone with happiness at the sight of Yixing. Uncle Po had no children, and no one to take care of him in his old age, so he still had to work as a fisherman to make a living. Yixing helped Uncle Po unload his fish and arranged them neatly, sorting them by variety. Throughout the duration of the evening market, Yixing helped Uncle Po sell his fish, helping customers to select the species of fish they wanted, weigh them, calculate the price according to the weight, and skin the scales off them. Customers flocked to Uncle Po’s stall to speak with Yixing, and even before the sun had finished setting, all of Uncle Po’s wares had been sold.

 

“Good business today, eh?” said Auntie Ling good-naturedly as Yixing helped Uncle Po stack up the empty baskets and buckets back on his cart.

 

“Of course my business is good,” said Uncle Po jovially. “I’m the first person in history to have a Son of Mount Shu man my fish stall for me!”

 

Yixing helped Uncle Po push his cart back to his home. After that, he made his way back to the evening market, to Genghong’s fish stall. Yixing knew that when had become a Son of Mount Shu, and his family had no need of a fishing boat anymore, Genghong was the one whom his mother had sold his fishing boat to.

 

“Genghong, can I borrow your fishing boat for the night?” asked Yixing. “I’ll return it before sunrise tomorrow morning, so it won’t affect your fishing.”

 

“Sure, Yixing _da-ge_. Feel free to use it. But are you sure you want to go out to sea at night?”

 

“I’ll be fine,” said Yixing, slipping Genghong a silver ingot in repayment. “I know the sea well. I’ve been out to sea at night in the past before.”

 

“The boat is docked at the beach. You would still recognise it, right?”

 

“Of course,” said Yixing, smiling.

 

Yixing went to the main beach, where all the fishing boats were docked. Instantly, he recognised his boat. The second furthest one at the end of the line. Perhaps, to an outsider, all fishing boats looked the same. But to a fisherman, his own fishing boat was like a part of him. He would always know which one was his. It had been nine years since Yixing sailed a boat, but even then, Yixing knew exactly what to do. Before long, he was setting out to sea. The wind was unfavourable, blowing in the wrong direction, so Yixing found himself having to row. When Yixing owned the boat, it had been new. Now it was old, but nevertheless still well-kept. The boat felt familiar. It was like reuniting with an old friend.

 

Once out in open sea, Yixing managed to harness a favourable sea current. It was a moonless night, and only the stars hung in the night sky to illuminate the way. Despite the darkness the of the night, familiarity with the sea meant Yixing knew exactly where he was going. He steered his boat to a little island in the middle of the sea. Waves lapped gently as Yixing jumped off the boat onto the powdery sand. Yixing gathered up some branches and made a fire. Then he went back to the boat. Lifting up the trapdoor, he dug around and found a blanket. He settled down in front of the fire, wrapping the blanket snugly around his shoulders.

 

He was all alone on the island, with just the fire, the waves, and the stars above him. He was all alone on the island, but it had not always been this way. In the past, when he had built a fire on this island, there was always Shixun next to him, hanging off his shoulder, asking Yixing to feed him, asking Yixing to play the _xun_ for him, asking Yixing for a kiss. How many times, when the sun was going to set, had Shixun begged Yixing not to go back to shore, to spend the night on the island with him? And now, Yixing was finally doing what Shixun wanted. Yixing was spending the night on the island, but now, it was too late. Yixing was here, but Shixun was nowhere in sight.

 

Yixing took out his _xun_ and blew into it. The notes pierced into the silence of the night. Nine years ago, on this very day, he had composed this very song. On this same shore, nine years ago, Shixun had sat next to him and listened to the song, and had said he liked it. Nine years ago, Shixun had asked him if he knew what day it was. At that time, Yixing could not answer him. But now, as Yixing sat alone on the island, he knew clearly what day it was. It was his ten-year anniversary with Shixun, ten years to the day when he had first caught the silver dragon in his rope net.

 

As Yixing blew into the _xun_ , he suddenly noticed a pale green light in the distance. It was small, no bigger than a speck. It was flitting through the air, buffered by the strong sea winds. It was coming closer, towards Yixing.

 

Yixing knew he should be worried. A strange light heading towards him, a Mount Shu disciple, in the middle of the night, when Yixing was all alone in the middle of nowhere? The entire scenario screamed of demonic activity, a beautiful enchanting prelude to a deadly attack, but something deep inside Yixing told him this was not so. This strange pale green fluttering light… …. Yixing had seen something like this before… … flying circles in the darkness around him… …

 

_“Yixing ge-ge, look at this.”_

_Shixun held up the paper crane. Gently, he blew on it. To Yixing’s amazement, the paper crane started to glow in the dark, a pretty pale green glow._

_“Yixing ge-ge can try to blow on it too.”_

_Yixing did as he was told. Immediately after Yixing’s breath touched the paper crane, the paper crane took flight. Slowly flapping its wings, it flew circles around the room, its path in the air traced by remnants of pale green light._

 

Yixing sat bolt upright. The _xun_ dropped from his fingers and landed on the soft sand. His heartbeat thudding in his ears, Yixing stared at the pale green paper crane as it flapped its frail paper wings valiantly against the strong sea winds. Yixing held out his hand, and the paper crane landed neatly in the palm of his hand.

 

Yixing’s heart stopped. There was something written on the wings of the crane. Yixing would recognise Shixun’s elegant script anywhere.

 

There were just two words, one on each wing of the crane. Just two words, but they were enough to make Yixing’s blood run cold.

 

Yixing stared at the two words, the dark ink clearly visible against the wings of glowing pale green.

 

_Save Me._

 

 

****************

 

 

The Eight Sons of Mount Shu sat in a circle. The paper crane was passed amongst them. Nobody spoke as each one of them took his time to inspect it. The glow-in-the-dark effect has long since dissipated, and it looked like a normal paper crane, except for the two words written on it.

 

“That’s it?” asked Boxian. “No other clue?”

 

Yixing shook his head.

 

“There must be something,” said Chen. “Ninth _shidi_ must have left behind, another clue that would lead us to him.”

 

Technically Shixun was no longer a disciple of Mount Shu, but the other Sons of Mount Shu still called him Ninth _shidi_ anyway.

 

“Eighth _shidi_ , you said it was flying towards you?” asked Kai.

 

“Ninth _shidi_ must have enchanted it with his _fashu_ to fly towards Eighth _shidi_ ,” said Junmian.

 

“Then maybe it has also been enchanted to fly back towards Ninth _shidi_ ,” said Kai. “And we just need to follow it by sword.”

 

“Fly. Seek Ninth _shidi_ ,” commanded Boxian.

 

The paper crane lay motionless on the table.

 

“Maybe Eighth _shidi_ needs to be the one to command it,” said Canlie.

 

“Fly,” said Yixing. “Find Shixun.”

 

The crane remained immobile.

 

Jingxiu picked it up, inspecting it from all angles.

 

“There’s something here,” said Jingxiu, holding it against the light. “I think there are more words, written on the underside of the paper.”

 

Yixing took the crane from Jingxiu. Holding it against the light, he could indeed see what Jingxiu was talking about. There were indeed markings on the paper, on the inside.

 

“We’ll have to unfold the crane to see what’s written inside,” said Xiumin gently.

 

Yixing felt his insides run cold. The paper crane was the only link he had to Shixun right now, and unfolding it seemed like a sacrilege. Yet at the same time, he understood the necessity of it. He passed the paper crane back to Jingxiu. Deftly, Jingxiu unfolded the crane. A flat square piece of paper lay in his hand. Jingxiu read it, then passed it to Yixing. The message on the note was short and simple.

 

_Yixing ge-ge, save me. Sun Moon Lake._

 

“Where is this Sun Moon Lake?” asked Boxian, reading the note over Yixing’s shoulder.

 

“I’ve read about it before,” said Junmian. “I think there’s a book that mentions it in our library. It’s a lake that exists in the Heavenly Realm.”

 

“The Heavenly Realm? How are we going to get there? Are mortals even allowed in?” asked Chen.

 

“I think no mortals have ever set foot in the Heavenly Realm, because the only way there from the Human Realm is to fly. Dragons like Ninth _shidi_ and immortals can fly, and ordinarily, mortals can’t. But Mount Shu has mastered the art of sword flying. It may be possible that we would be able to go there.”

 

“Eighth  _shidi_ ,” said Xiumin quietly. He was inspecting the words on the paper closely. “I think these words are not written in ink. The colour is off.”

 

“Then what could they be written in?”

 

Xiumin spoke softly, as if speaking in a loud voice would be too much for Yixing to bear.

 

“Blood.”

 

Yixing’s own blood ran cold. Canlie put a hand on his arm.

 

“Ninth _shidi_ probably did not have anything to write with. He probably bit his finger, and used that to write. It would have been a small cut. Ninth _shidi_ wouldn’t have been hurt too much from it, and the wound would have healed quickly.”

 

Yixing nodded. Canlie’s words gave him a measure of comfort, though Yixing was acutely aware that for Shixun to give up the paper crane that he had treasured so much and to have cut his own finger on top of that, his circumstances must be very bad indeed.

 

Jingxiu deftly folded the paper back into the shape of a crane. He placed the paper crane carefully in the palm of Yixing’s hand, and Yixing cradled it like it was a priceless treasure.

 

Junmian went to the library to do more research on the Sun Moon Lake, taking Xiumin and Jingxiu with him. The other Sons of Mount Shu got ready for the journey, packing travel supplies and clothes. When this was done, there was nothing else to do but wait, and the wait was killing Yixing. He found himself outside library, pacing anxiously up and down the corridor. Canlie waited with him, sitting on the balustrade, leaning his back on the pillar as he watched Yixing pace to and fro.

 

The door opened. Junmian, Xiumin and Jingxiu stepped out. Yixing was by their side in an instant, his very presence an unspoken question in itself, asking what they had discovered. Canlie came up next to him, putting an arm around his shoulder.

 

“We found an ancient tome that provided some information on the location of the Sun Moon Lake. It is not exactly in the Heavenly Realm. It’s actually at the intersection between the Human Realm, Heavenly Realm and Demonic Realm. It’s the place in the universe where the sun and moon inter-cross as they move through the heavens. On one side of the Sun Moon Lake, where the sun is, is day, and the other side of the lake, where the moon is, is night. Every dawn and every dusk, the sun and the moon meet at the Sun Moon Lake in the course of their orbits, and move to the other side of the sky, changing night to day and day to night,” said Xiumin.

 

“How would we get there?”

 

“We found a map in between the pages of the tome,” said Jingxiu. He unfolded a piece of sheep skin, and Yixing could see a map embossed on it. Jingxiu traced his finger on the map to show the route as he spoke. “Mount Shu is here. We fly west, past the Sichuan Basin, the Xizhang Plateau, the Takelamagan Desert, to finally reach the Tian Mountain.”

 

“Once we get to the Tian Mountain, we would have to search for a gate that would connect the Human Realm to Heavenly and Demonic Realms,” continued Junmian. “We looked through every book in the library, but could find no information about this gate. We’ll have to go to the Tian Mountain and figure out our way from there.”

 

They set off, eight swords in flight. Junmian took the lead first, flying in the front and centre. The other Sons of Mount Shu flanked him on either side, such that they resembled an arrow head, each Son of Mount Shu flying slightly above the one in front of him. Flying in this formation reduced wind resistance, allowed them to fly longer distances without tiring so quickly. At the head of the formation, Junmian was taking the brunt of the wind resistance. When he tired, he moved to the back of the formation, and another Son of Mount Shu took his place. In this fashion, they took turns helming the front of the formation.

 

Yixing had flown over the Sichuan Basin many times, so it was familiar scenery for him. It was low-lying fertile land, covered by farms, towns and villages. When they flew over here, they did not touch the dried rations that they had packed, but instead stopped at teahouses or restaurants for meals, and stayed the night at inns.

 

The Xizhang Plateau was high ground, surrounded by mountains, but flat in the middle. It was beautiful, with good clean mountain air, blue skies and rivers, and brownish-green grass growing abundantly, covering every surface below them, helmed in by the mountain range in the distance. Human dwellings were lesser here, so Junmian planned their flight route more carefully. By relying on his memory from having visited Xizhang before as well as consulting the locals, he managed to make sure more or less that they spent the night in a town or a village, though there were a few nights when they spent the night in the wilderness. Even then, they didn’t touch their dried rations, but instead hunted wild animals for food. In Xizhang, the language spoken was different from that used in the central plains, though they managed to get by using hand gestures to communicate what they wanted, and sometimes they met with someone who could speak a little of the Han language.

 

The Takelamagan Desert was somewhere none of them had ever been before. Boxian had been to the Gebi Desert though, and he warned of sweltering heat in the day and cold temperatures at night, the lack of water, and nothing but sand everywhere, with no prominent landmark to aid in navigation. At the last human dwelling in Xizhang, the Sons of Mount Shu stocked up on food and water, each of them carrying five waterskins each. Jingxiu produced the sheepskin map, and tried to get the locals to point out to them on the map where the oasis towns in the desert were, but the locals had never seen a map before in their lives, and were unable to visualise how a real-life place could appear as a picture on a piece of sheepskin. Instead, they described the directions to take by navigating the sun and stars, which Yixing, because of his fishing background, was able to understand.

 

When they entered the Takelamagan Desert, Yixing led the way, bringing the Mount Shu disciples northwest, estimating the correct direction to fly based on the position of the sun. The sun rose from the east and set in the west, and based on this, and the time of the day, Yixing could more less tell which direction was northwest. At night, when the stars came out, Yixing then verified that his day route had been more or less correct by using the north star and its neighbouring constellations. When they had flown to a point in the desert when the big dipper constellation touched the edge of the horizon, Yixing then started to veer their course north rather than northwest, as instructed by the Xizhang locals.

 

Travelling through the Takelamagan Desert was the hardest place Yixing had ever travelled in before. The days were unbearably hot. Sweat clung to every inch of Yixing’s skin, making him sticky and uncomfortable. Despite how parched his throat was, Yixing had to constantly deny himself water in order to make his water rations last. As warned by Boxian, night was the other extreme, freezingly and bitterly cold. With no firewood to burn, the Mount Shu disciples were unable to make a fire, and huddled under their blankets for warmth, using _qi_ meditation and their inner strength to help regulate their body temperatures. There was no game to be hunted, no human dwelling to buy food, and they ate dried rations every day. Sometimes they saw bands of merchant caravans along the way, which Yixing was glad for, because it meant that he was bringing the Sons of Mount Shu on the correct route. The merchant caravans were travelling the Silk Road and would be heading to the same oasis town as them. Yixing supposed if they just flew above one of the merchant caravan bands, they would be able to follow them to the oasis town, but the problem was that they were too slow. They moved at a plodding ponderous pace, on camels laden with their wares, or horse-drawn carts that were slow going because the sand slowed down the movement of their wheels.

 

After five days of travel, they flew into the first oasis town, Keshen, a thriving human dwelling that was built next to a huge blue lake fed by rains from the nearby mountain range. It was surreal to see so many humans and man-made structures out of the blue in the middle of the desert, where there had been nothing but barren sand for so many days. The Sons of Mount Shu all clapped Yixing on the back, impressed that he had indeed brought them to their destination. They stayed the night in an inn, stocking up on food and water, and asking for directions to the next oasis town.

 

In this manner, they traversed the harsh desert, stopping at a total of four different oasis towns. Once, they encountered a band of merchant caravans that was being attacked by desert bandits, and they went to their aid.

 

At their last oasis town, Akesu, they could actually see the Tian Mountain in the distance, so at least, navigating there wasn’t going to be an issue. It was a towering snow-capped mountain range that loomed larger than Mount Shu. In the desert, there were oasis towns and the occasional band of merchant caravans, but once they reached the Tian Mountain, they would be leaving behind human civilisation totally. At Akesu, they bought new supplies of food and water, and tried to ask locals about the Tian Mountain. The locals spoke some smattering of simple Han language as the livelihood of the town largely centred around providing food and lodging and trade for merchants travelling to and fro from the central plains. They spoke of legends surrounding the Tian Mountain, of how Tian Mountain was a sacred place, because it was associated with the sky. Some also said it was rumoured to be the location of the Peach Tree of Immortality, from which its fruits allowed the heavenly deities who consumed it immortal life. Yixing would have brushed this off as superstition, if not for the fact that he knew that Shixun’s oldest brother, Yifan, had indeed attended the Feast of Peaches before. But of the Sun Moon Lake, or the gate that would lead to the Heavenly or Demonic Realms, none of the locals had any idea.

 

“The name, Tian Mountain, in itself could mean something. It suggests that the mountain leads to _tian_ , the sky. This could mean it leads into the Heavenly Realm,” said Xiumin.

 

“Yes, I agree,” said Jingxiu. “And the fact that the locals think the Peach Tree of Immortality could be on the Tian Mountain? The Peach Tree of Immortality is definitely within the Heavenly Realm, and not the Human one. This would mean the gateway to the Heavenly Realm is somewhere there.”

 

“But all these evidence leads to the Tian Mountain being the gateway leading to the Heavenly Realm. What about the Demonic Realm? None of the local legends make any reference to it at all. If the demons have imprisoned Ninth _shidi_ , it would only make sense that they have imprisoned him in the Demonic Realm, and not the Heavenly one. I am more inclined to think the location of the Sun Moon Lake should be in the Demonic Realm,” said Chen.

 

“When I was very young, Great-Grandmaster once spoke to me about the Heavenly Realm and the Demonic Realm,” said Junmian, referring to his teacher’s teacher, who had passed away long before Yixing became a Son of Mount Shu. “He said that the veil between the Heavenly Realm and the Demonic Realm is actually very thin. He said it was very easy for one to aim for Heavenly Realm his whole life, but only to end up in the Demonic Realm instead. So it could be that if we find the gateway to the Heavenly Realm, the way to the Demonic Realm would be made apparent too. And anyway, this book says the Sun Moon Lake lies at the intersection between the three realms of Heaven, Demon and Human. We just need to find the gateway to that intersection.”

 

Yixing blinked at the book that Junmian was holding in his hand. With the combined tutelage of first Shixun, then Canlie, Yixing could read quite fluently now, but he could make no sense of this book at all. The words all looked like line drawings to him. It was written in an archaic script. Of all the Mount Shu disciples, probably only Junmian, Xiumin and Jingxiu could read it.

 

The next day, the Sons of Mount Shu set off for the Tian Mountain. As they approached it, the sandy terrain below them gave way to rocks and snow. The temperature was freezing. Yixing was grateful for his thick fur cloak, which they had all bought in Akesu. They flew all day around the Tian Mountain. It was majestic, beautiful, covered in pine forests in the lower slopes, and snow-covered rocks on the upper slopes. Everything looked as it was− beautiful and natural, and decidedly ordinary. Nothing resembled a gateway to another realm, or even looked remotely supernatural.

 

They stopped to camp for the night in a mountain cave. Kai and Canlie went to hunt for dinner. Chen and Boxian went to refill everyone’s water skins at a nearby mountain spring. Junmian, Xiumin and Jingxiu gathered round the ancient tome again, rereading it for the umpteenth time, hoping to find a clue they had overlooked before. Yixing gathered firewood to build a fire. He piled up the sticks, and struck two stones together. It was something he had done many times before. Yet, as his hands struck the stones, no sparks came out. He kept trying and trying, and yet, he could not do it.

 

Chen gently removed the stones from Yixing’s trembling hands. Yixing looked up in surprise. He hadn’t even realised that Chen and Boxian had come back. Chen hit the stones together and immediately sparks flew out and the wood caught fire. Yixing lowered his head. Boxian sat down next to him and pulled him into a hug.

 

“I left him with his second brother,” said Yixing, his face buried in Boxian’s shoulder. “His second brother is so powerful. How could this have happened?”

 

“You couldn’t have known,” said Boxian. “None of us could have. Letting Ninth _shidi_ leave with his brother did seem like the best thing to do for him at that time.”

 

“And now we can’t even find him.”

 

“We’ll find Ninth _shidi_ ,” promised Chen. “We won’t rest until we have.”

 

Yixing sat back up, pulling back from Boxian’s embrace. If either Chen or Boxian saw Yixing wiping his eyes on his sleeve, neither of them mentioned it out loud. Staring at the fire, Yixing took deep breaths and pulled himself back together.

 

Canlie and Kai came back with a couple of mountain hares. Chen, Boxian and Yixing helped them to skin and roast it over the fire. Junmian, Jingxiu and Xiumin came to join them at the fire.

 

“Any new findings?” asked Canlie.

 

The three of them remained silent, which was an answer in itself. Chen put a hand comfortingly over Yixing’s own. Only then did he realise his fists had been clenched, his robes bunched up within his fingers. Yixing forced him to relax his hands, and Chen squeezed his hand reassuringly.

 

The next morning, they woke up at first light and set off. With no tangible clue thus far, the only thing they could do was fly over the Tian Mountain, trying to see if they could spot anything. They explored every nook and cranny, flying high above the mountain range and down into its gulleys, in between the pine trees and barren walls of rock.

 

But it was another day of fruitless search. Yixing watched in quiet despair as the sun was beginning to set. Another whole day wasted.

 

Junmian hovered in the air, his sword unmoving as he contemplated the setting sun. The sun was a golden yolk hanging low over the mountain range, creeping towards the edge of the mountain, where the peak touched the sky.

 

“The ancient text records that the Sun Moon Lake is the place where the sun and moon intersect as their paths over the heavens cross,” said Junmian. As he stood motionless facing the setting sun, his face was bathed in a golden glow, and the stray strands of his hair that were not tucked in his top knot fluttered in the breeze. “Now that day is giving way to night, isn’t the sun going to cross paths with the moon soon? And if they are going to cross paths soon, doesn’t this mean that the sun is headed towards the Sun Moon Lake right now?”

 

Yixing’s heart leapt as he digested this. Now that Junmian pointed it out, it seemed so simple.

 

“Forward,” commanded Junmian. “We chase the setting sun.”

 

The sun was already disappearing behind the edge of the mountain range, half sunken below the horizon. The Sons of Mount Shu flew ahead at full speed. Just when it seemed that they were closing the gap, they were catching up on the setting sun, they stopped short.

 

Yixing would have wanted to say that they had hit something, except that there was nothing to hit. They were hovering in mid-air, nothing to obstruct their way forward at all. And yet, the swords were heavy. They could not move. It was rather like the feeling one would have if one’s feet were stuck in mud.

 

“Why is Eighth _shidi_ able to go in front of us?” asked Jingxiu.

 

Yixing turned back. He was indeed a couple of sword lengths ahead of the other Sons of Mount Shu.

 

“Why is it that we all are only to come up to here, but Eighth _shidi_ can go a little further than us?” said Jingxiu. “There must be something. If we can figure it out, maybe that would be the solution to overcoming this barrier.”

 

“Eighth _shidi_ ,” said Canlie. “When I first met you in your village, and we were fighting the bandits, you seemed like an ordinary swordsman who had learnt sword strokes but had yet to learn the art of using _qi_. But when you saved the little girl from the bear demon, you were suddenly able to use _qi_ to leap from Ninth _shidi_ ’s back and pierce through the roof of the bear demon’s mouth. Your sudden burst of _qi_ , I had never seen such a high level of inner strength before from someone who has never learned to cultivate inner strength… ….”

 

“Shixun gave me a breath of his _xianqi_ before,” admitted Yixing.

 

“This must be why Eighth _shidi_ can progress further than any of us. But because he is not a full immortal, the breath of _xianqi_ can only take him so far. He can only go a little further ahead into the barrier as compared to us, but not all the way,” said Xiumin.

 

“Then we just need to amplify the effect of the _xianqi_ ,” said Junmian. “Make its effect stronger and bigger, so that it envelops not only Eight _shidi_ but all over us.”

 

“Do you know how to do that?” asked Chen.

 

“Yes.” Jumian took out a piece of red string that hung around his neck from underneath his robes. Hanging on the string was a small jade pendent. “ _Shifu_ gave me this. Generations of Mount Shu disciples have meditated wearing this jade piece, allowing the essence of their meditation to be contained inside it. _Shifu_ taught me a _fashu_ that would activate the jade piece. Once activated, it can be used as an amplifier to magnify the effects of one’s _fashu_. Eighth _shidi_ , try to breathe out the breath of _xianqi_ on the jade piece, and I will work the spell at the same time.”

 

“I don’t think I can,” said Yixing. “At first, Shixun’s _xianqi_ and my own _qi_ were two distinct flows in my body, but now, after nine years, they have already combined and have become one. I can’t separate them now.”

 

Junmian nodded. “In that case, just project a breath of your own _qi_ onto the jade piece. It should work just the same.”

 

The Sons of Mount Shu gathered round, watching as Junmian set up the spell. In quick succession, he murmured a series of incantations, changing the position of the jade piece as according to the heavens and the earth to match the different incantations. The jade piece started to glow, a clear green radiance that pierced through the darkening sky. Yixing leaned forward and projected his _qi_ onto the jade piece. The instant his breath touched the jade, Junmian activated the jade piece. Clear green light burst forth from the jade piece, enveloping all the Mount Shu disciples in its light.

 

With the light of the jade piece shining upon them, the Sons of Mount Shu found that they were able to pass through the barrier, though it was slow-going, as if they had sandbags weighing them down at the ankles. Ignoring the weight of the air around him, Yixing resolutely chased the setting sun. And then, he broke free, like a fish swimming out of a net and bursting freely into open water.

 

They were no longer in the Human Realm, Yixing realised. The whole place just felt different, foreign. They were flying over blankets of clouds. To Yixing’s shock, they passed by a huge rock floating in the air, just below them. It was the size of his hut back in Mount Shu, flat on the top, and tapering downwards so that the rock resembled an icicle in shape. Its top was covered in lush verdant greenery.

 

Yhey passed by more such floating rocks, until eventually, they spotted an island in the distance. It was roughly three times the size of Yixing and Shixun’s little island in the Eastern Sea. Like all the other rocks, it was floating in mid-air, covered in greenery on its flat top and tapering downwards. But the island was starkly different from everything else around it. Half of the island, and the surrounding half of the sky around it was bathed in the golden daylight. The other half of the island and its surrounding half of the sky was bathed in darkness. Day and night met in the middle of the island, a vertical meeting of light and dark, almost as if a line was drawn in the sky perpendicular to the island.

 

Within the dark half of the sky, Yixing could clearly see the moon. Just like the sun, she was moving towards the island, her movement the exact mirror image of the sun’s.

 

Then, the sun and moon met. The Sons of Mount Shu stopped in their tracks, watching in awe at the spectacular sight enfolding before their very eyes. In the moment of the meeting of sun and moon, the island was bathed in twilight. The meeting only lasted a moment, and the sun and the moon continued their never ceasing courses in the sky. The sun entered the other half of the sky, the one that had previously been dark, and that half of the sky was bathed in golden daylight. Simultaneously, the moon entered the other half of the sky, and the previous bright sky turned into the blackness of night.

 

Without a shadow of doubt, the Sun Moon Lake had to be on that island. Yixing’s heart leapt. They had found it at last. Yixing flew ahead with a sudden burst of speed, and the other Sons of Mount Shu were quick to catch up with him.

 

“Be prepared for battle,” Junmian’s voice was deadly calm. “If there is an enemy holding Ninth _shidi_ against his will, we strike quick and fast, without giving the enemy time to react.”

 

Junmian accelerated faster still, and the other Sons of Mount Shu matched his speed. Their arc of flight was a blur in the sky, eight hurtling swords soaring towards the island at deadly speed. As they approached the island, Yixing saw a great lake in the centre of it, its shores surrounded by lush verdant greenery.

 

And with his head resting on the sandy beach, the rest of his long body submerged under water, lay a great silver dragon.

 

The Eight Sons of Mount Shu changed the trajectory of their flight, hurtling straight towards the silver dragon.

 

“Demons!”

 

The cries of warning came from Canlie, Chen and Boxian. But even before the warning reached his ears, Yixing had already seen them. Black robed figures rising up into the air to meet them. Their faces were hidden behind white masks, painted with blue and red stripes. Yixing counted eight demons. One for each of them. In his peripheral vision, Yixing could see that most of his fellow disciples had chosen to fight their demon airborne, using Mount Shu’s fist or palm techniques to exchange blows with the demons with their swords still firmly planted under their feet.

 

Yixing decided to use his sword. He fled from his demon, and predictably, the demon gave chase. Yixing’s sword skimmed low above the tree cover. When he came across a large branch, Yixing jumped from his sword and landed neatly on the branch. The _Qing Gang_ Sword looped in the air in an elegant arc, shrinking back to its normal size as it did so. Its pommel landed neatly in the palm of Yixing’s hand.

 

The demon bore down on Yixing, swinging a whip at Yixing. The whip left tongues of fire in its wake. Yixing realised that the whip was burning magically with a perpetual flame. The trajectory of the whip was too easy to predict. Yixing dodged it easily, and attacked simultaneously. The downward arm movement to make the swing of the whip meant that the demon had left his entire front torso exposed, and Yixing made a direct stab into his stomach. The demon frantically swung his flaming whip back. Yixing neatly jumped upwards, the flames of the whip stinging the soles of his feet momentarily, but it was of no consequence, because by this time, Yixing had slit the throat of the demon. The demon thudded to the ground, shrinking within the folds of his volumnous black robes as he did so. Yixing did not bother to lift the black robes to see what animal lay inside. Turning his back to the dead demon, Yixing took to the trees. Leaping from one branch to another, Yixing skimmed the top of the trees, until he burst out from the tree cover to reach the lake shore.

 

Yixing landed neatly in the sand, right next to the silver dragon. Junmian, Canlie and Xiumin were already there.

 

Holding his breath, Yixing walked up slowly to the silver dragon. The dragon was slumbering on the beach, the bottom of his bearded chin resting on the sand. His eyes were closed as he breathed heavily.

 

By this time, Chen, Jingxiu, Kai and Boxian had also finished battling their demons, and had joined them on the beach.

 

“Low level demons,” said Kai. “Ninth _shidi_ could have killed all of them while fighting with his eyes closed.”

 

“They can’t be the ones who had captured Ninth _shidi_ ,” said Junmian. “Only the ones that had been put on sentry duty to watch over him now that he is securely in chains”.

 

Yixing’s heart clenched painfully when he noticed the huge metal collar that was clasped around the dragon’s neck. It was connected to a thick metal chain. The chain couldn’t be more than five arm spans long. The chain connected to a thick metal rod, staked into solid rock. Next to the rock, burned a huge brazier. It spat purple fumes into the air, and an overly-sweet smell permeated from the fumes.

 

Yixing laid a gentle hand on the dragon’s snout.

 

“Shixun.”

 

The dragon showed no response.

 

“Shixun.” Yixing raised his voice, shaking the dragon.

 

The dragon slowly cracked an eye open. When he saw Yixing kneeling anxiously next to him, he turned to nuzzle Yixing. Even that small movement was labourious, as if it took too much strength to do. Yixing felt his eyes swim with tears as he felt Shixun leaning into him.

 

“Ninth _shidi_ is drugged.” It was Canlie who spoke. “This purple smoke. What is it?”

 

Covering his nose with his sleeve, Xiumin leaned in to look inside the burning brazier. Jingxiu did the same.

 

“A kind of herb is burning inside,” said Jingxiu. “I’ve never heard of anything like it, a kind of plant that would produce purple smoke when burnt.”

 

“I’ve read about a plant in an obsure ancient text once. It is called Dragon’s Bane. It is said to have been extinct thousands of years ago. I don’t what it looks like, or what colour smoke it produces when burnt, but it is said to be poisonous to dragons,” said Xiumin.

 

Canlie kicked the brazier. The huge metal contraption flew high into the air before landing into the middle of the lake. The fire extinguished as the brazier sank beneath the water, the purple fumes dissipating into the air.

 

The lack of purple fumes in the air seemed to have a positive effect on the dragon. It breathed more easily, and seemed to be gathering strength. With a burst of determination, the dragon shimmered and shrank, until Yixing was holding a boy in his arms. The chain and the metal metal collar magically shrank together with him, so that as Shixun lay on the sand, his head pillowed in Yixing’s arms, his neck was still firmly clasped within the confines of the collar. He was pale. His cheeks had lost its healthy glow. His eyes were unfocused, tired. His lips were bloodless, dried and cracked. Even then, Yixing thought he was beautiful.

 

“Shixun.”

 

“Yixing ge-ge.” Shixun’s voice was soft, weak. “You’re here. I knew you would come. Yixing ge-ge will always save Shixun.”

 

“I’m here.” Yixing struggled to keep his tears from falling. “We’re all here. All of us came. You’re safe now.”

 

With a wave of his sword, Canlie hit the metal chain. Sparks flew as metal rang against metal. The chain remained intact. One by one, each one of them tried to break the chain. None were successful.

 

“Eighth _shidi_. Try using the _Qing Gang_ Sword,” said Junmian.

 

Yixing held out Shixun to Canlie. Canlie took over Shixun in his arms. Canlie was gentle as he cradled Shixun against his chest. Gathering his _qi_ to his sword arm, Yixing swung down, a swift decisive stroke. The chain shattered underneath the might of the _Qing Gang_ Sword.

 

“Eighth _shidi_ , you still need to remove the collar,” said Canlie.

 

Yixing hesitated. The collar was on Shixun’s neck. What if Yixing missed?

 

“You can do it. Gather your _qi_. Swing down slow and and steady. Your sword is part of you, an extension of yourself. Your _qi_ and your stroke are one and the same, blended together.” Canlie placed his hands on either side of Shixun’s metal collar. If Yixing missed, he would not hit Shixun’s neck immediately. Canlie’s hands will be hit first. Though he could not see it, Yixing knew that Canie must be reinforcing his hands with his _qi_. This would not protect Canlie’s hands if Yixing missed, but it would help protect Shixun’s neck shielded below. “We have trained together many times. I have taught you how to hit a target many times, and you have never failed me. You can do it.”

 

Yixing took a breath and gather his _qi_. His swung his sword. A clash of steel rang out, and the collar shattered into two. The collar slid off. Both Yixing and Canlie bent down to inspect Shixun’s neck. There was no injury, not even a scratch. Yixing’s blow had hit true.

 

“Yixing ge-ge,” Shixun whined weakly, reaching for Yixing.

 

In his half-drugged state, Yixing knew that Shixun hadn’t even registered what had been going on. He was upset because Yixing wasn’t the one holding him right now. Canlie deposited Shixun back into Yixing’s arms.

 

“Let us go,” said Junmian. “The longer we stay, the higher the risk that whoever was the one that captured Ninth _shidi_ will discover that the sentries he had posted here have been slain, and that Ninth _shidi_ is free.”

 

“Second _shixiong_ ,” said Shixun weakly, reaching out for Junmian. “Save my brothers, please.”

 

“Your brothers have been captured too?” said Junmian in alarm. “Both of them?”

 

“The next island,” said Shixun. “Please.”

 

“Leave it to us,” said Junmian. “Eighth _shidi_ , take Ninth _shidi_ and leave. The rest of us will go to save The First and Second Dragon Princes.”

 

“I’ll go with you!” said Yixing alarmed, not wanting the other Sons of Mount Shu to go into danger without him.

 

“That would not be wise,” said Junmian. “Ninth _shidi_ is not fit for combat right now. Bringing him with us will only slow us down. But we can’t risk leaving him here alone either. I think the best course of action is that the seven of us go, while you take Ninth _shidi_ back to the human realm first. I think the demons guarding the First and Second Dragon Princes will be around the same level as the demons here. More than anything else, they are relying on burning Dragon’s Bane to keep the dragons in check. Defeating the demons guarding them and freeing the dragon princes will not be a problem, provided we act fast, before they discover Ninth _shidi_ has been freed and they raise the alarm.”

 

Yixing nodded, heeding the wisdom in Junmian’s words. “Take the _Qing Gang_ Sword with you.”

 

The other Sons of Mount Shu would need the _Qing Gang_ Sword to break the chains. Junmian exchanged his own sword with Yixing.

 

“Take Ninth _shidi_ to the cave on the Tian Mountain, the one we slept in last night. We will meet you there.”

 

Junmian took to the air, and the rest followed, seven swords hurtling into the sky towards the sun. Carrying Shixun in his arms, Yixing flew on Junmian’s sword in the opposite direction, chasing the moon back to the Human Realm. Bolstered by Shixun’s presence, they passed through the barrier more easily this time.

 

The Tian Mountain was as he left it, beautiful and desolate, covered in snow. The air was freezing, and the sudden drop in temperature was causing Shixun to tremble uncontrollably in Yixing’s arms. Yixing cursed himself for not covering Shixun with his fur cloak earlier. It was too late now, if Yixing took his arms off Shixun now, he would surely fall. Yixing flew as fast as he could to the cave. Once he was inside, he took off his cloak and wrapped Shixun snugly in it. He rushed to build a fire. Luckily, the firewood he had stacked the night before was still there. Yixing picked up two small rocks and struck them. Sparks flew out and the firewood caught fire. Yixing hugged Shixun close to him, breathing more easily when Shixun’s trembling stopped. Yixing fed Shixun water, and the dragon drank greedily. He also fed Shixun dried fruit, which he tore into small pieces and carefully put down Shixun’s throat. Yixing wished he had something better to give Shixun to eat, but going out to hunt would mean leaving Shixun alone in the cave, something that Yixing was unwilling to do. After eating and drinking, Shixun drifted off to sleep again.

 

With his back against the stone wall of the cave, Yixing held Shixun tenderly, stroking the sleeping dragon’s cheek. When they had parted eight years ago, Yixing had thought they would never see each other again. But now, he had Shixun lying in his arms, safe and sound once more. Yixing’s heart ached at the thought of Shixun being held in captivity. How his dragon must have suffered.

 

Shixun stirred in his arms. The movement woke Yixing too. Yixing jolted awake, angry at himself for having fallen asleep. What if an enemy had come while they had slept?

 

“Yixing ge-ge!”

 

Shixun pulled Yixing’s head down, and Yixing found himself being kissed. Yixing smiled. If Shixun had the energy to kiss Yixing, Shixun must be feeling better.

 

“Shixun missed Yixing ge-ge so much!” Shixun’s eyes were brimming with tears.

 

Unable to bear the sight, Yixing moved to draw his teary dragon back into his arms, but Shixun squirmed out of reach, sitting up and moving apart from Yixing. The action stung Yixing more than he could say.

 

“Yixing ge-ge let Second Brother take Shixun away! Shixun is angry at you.”

 

Shixun pouted angrily at Yixing. There was nothing Yixing could say to that. He looked wordlessly at Shixun, not knowing what to say or do.

 

“But then, Yixing ge-ge saved Shixun. So I suppose it’s alright to forgive Yixing ge-ge!”

 

Shixun burrowed himself back into Yixing’s embrace, and Yixing held his dragon close to him.

 

“What happened?”

 

“When Second Brother took me back to the Dragon Palace, I wanted to run away and go back to Yixing ge-ge right away, but my brothers told me the demons have a new king, and our father got captured by the Demon King. I went with my brothers to save him. We met with the Demon King and his army, and we fought. My brothers are very powerful, and the battle was going well at first. But then, they started burning piles of this strange herb, and purple fumes filled the battle field. Once we breathed in these fumes, we became weak and powerless, and we were easily overpowered.”

 

“First _shixiong_ said the herb is called Dragon’s Bane.”

 

“They put us in chains,” said Shixun, his lower lip trembling at the memory. Yixing held him close. “I saw them put my brothers in the Island of Mirroring Virtues. There are two lakes on that island, and they chained up my brothers and put them one in each lake. Then they brought me to the Sun Moon Lake. They kept the purple fumes burning night and day in that brazier next to me. But one day, they got careless, the brazier had burnt out, and they neglected to refill it. My head cleared enough so that I could change to my human form. I didn’t have my Mount Shu ring anymore. My oldest brother confiscated it because he didn’t want me to look at it and get reminded of you, so I couldn’t use it to call for help. But I still had the paper crane Yixing ge-ge bought for me! My brothers don’t know about it, so they didn’t take it away from me. I bit my finger and wrote the note, and sent the paper crane flying to you. Then they came back and started burning the purple fumes again. Once they did that, I couldn’t do anything, except wait for Yixing ge-ge. I knew Yixing ge-ge would come!”

 

“How long were you in captivity?”

 

“I don’t know. My mind was so fuzzy all the time, I couldn’t keep track of time. I was caught not long after separating from Yixing ge-ge.”

 

“What?” Yixing was horrified. “But that was eight years ago!”

 

Yixing was inconsolable, and it was Shixun’s turn to hug Yixing comfortingly.

 

“It’s alright, Yixing ge-ge. Yixing ge-ge came to save me. Yixing ge-ge is the best!”

 

Yixing took out the paper crane, and passed it to Shixun. Shixun lit up at the sight of it, and he tucked it carefully inside the fold of his robes, just above his heart. Making sure that Shixun was securely wrapped in the fur cloak, Yixing brought Shixun out of the cave. Shixun was still weak, so Yixing piggy-backed him. They went to a mountain stream to refill their water skins, and Yixing caught a rainbow trout. Yixing cleaned the fish and speared it on a stick. Yixing built a fire next to the stream. Yixing roasted the fish over the fire. Shixun hung off Yixing, putting his chin on Yixing’s shoulder as he waited, requesting kisses every now and then. It was so familiar that Yixing’s heart ached. When the fish was cooked, Yixing fed it to Shixun, peeling off the white flesh from where it was boneless and juicy for Shixun, leaving the bony parts for him.

 

After they had eaten, they went back to cave. Shixun seemed more energetic, so Yixing let him walk. Back at the cave, they replenished the firewood and relit the fire. Yixing spread his blanket on the floor of the cave next to the fire. They lay down on it, using Yixing’s fur cloak as a blanket. Shixun was lying on top of Yixing, his head pillowed on Yixing’s chest.

 

“When I was trapped in Sun Moon Lake, I couldn’t really tell when I was sleeping, and when I was awake. It was like I dreamed when I was sleeping, and also dreamed when I was awake. But whether I was asleep or awake, my dreams were of you, and only you. How about you, Yixing ge-ge? All this time when we were separated, did you think of Shixun?”

 

Yixing kissed his dragon on the forehead.

 

“I thought of you all the time. Every night, and every day.”

 

And Yixing could not hold back any longer. He rolled Shixun over, flipping Shixun on his back. He leaned down and claimed Shixun’s lips. Eight years of being separated from Shixun, and Yixing released his feelings into the kiss. Yixing’s lips moved against Shixun’s with a force and an intent as never before. The kiss was long and passionate, but yet, it was not enough.

 

Yixing broke the kiss at last. His face hovered above Shixun’s. Shixun was staring at him, wide-eyed. Yixing stroked his cheek gently. His fingers trailed downwards, fingeres trailing over the smooth silk robes, until he was touching Shixun’s belt. Yixing undid the belt.

 

“Yixing ge-ge… …”

 

Shixun sounded hesitant, shy. It made him even more alluring.

 

Slowly and deliberately, giving Shixun time to be stop Yixing if he wanted to, Yixing pushed Shixun’s silk robes off his shoulders. Shixun did nothing to stop Yixing. He merely lay in his white underclothes beneath Yixing, holding on to Yixing’s shoulders and blinking up at Yixing. Yixing leaned down to kiss Shixun passionately again, and Shixun responded in kind. Emboldened by this, Yixing peeled off Shixun’s white shirt. Shixun’s bare skin was exposed to Yixing. Every inch of Shixun was pretty, and Yixing could not get enough of touching him. Yixing trailed kisses down Shixun’s neck, along his collar bones. How could someone have such lovely collar bones? Shixun’s arched his neck as Yixing kissed it. Even the way he arched his neck was lovely, his long neck leaning back so alluringly, and Yixing could not help worshiping it with kisses.

 

Yixing kissed his way down the centre of Shixun’s torso, until he could go down no further, because he had reached the waistband of Shixun’s white pants. Yixing hooked a finger under the fabric, tugging it downwards. Shixun’s hand moved to cover Yixing’s, stopping the movement.

 

“Yixing ge-ge… …”

 

Yixing had never seen Shixun look so shy. He was blushing so prettily, Yixing could not help but kiss him again. Yixing’s kiss was smouldering, demanding, and he let his desire for Shixun show through every movement of his lips. As they kissed, Yixing reached down to tug Shixun’s pants off him.

 

Shixun was completely exposed underneath Yixing. Yixing explored every inch of Shixun’s body, his eyes taking in every small detail, his hands and his kisses following as he could not get enough of touching his dragon. Shixun made a soft whimper, a small sound of disbelief mixed with desire, when Yixing curled his hand over Shixun’s manhood. Yixing stroked Shixun to hardness, and Shixun gasped and squirmed underneath Yixing, clutching onto Yixing’s shoulders.

 

Yixing sat up to take off his own clothes, though he could not help but kiss Shixun intermittently as he did so, because he could not stand not touching Shixun even for a moment. When Yixing was fully unclothed, he lay back down over Shixun, spreading Shixun’s legs as he did so. Yixing’s hardness was lined up at the entrance of Shixun’s hole. There could be no mistaking was Yixing was about to do.

 

“Yixing ge-ge… …”

 

Yixing bent down and closed the gap between them. As they kissed, Yixing pushed in. Shixun took a sharp intake of breath, turning his head to side, his eyes wide, his mouth open in a gasp. Yixing turned Shixun’s face back to him and claimed Shixun’s lips. He pulled out, and pushed back in strongly, drawing another gasp from Shixun. Yixing thrusted in strongly. As he moved, Shixun clung onto Yixing’s back, his long legs bent at the knees, framing Yixing on either side as Yixing moved, every thrust pushing deep into Shixun.

 

Shixun came first. The way he gasped and shuddered in Yixing’s arms, his hole clamping down on Yixing’s hard shaft, the way he clung onto Yixing, sent Yixing over the edge too, and he shot his release deep inside Shixun. Yixing pulled out slowly, unwilling to separate from Shixun, kissing Shixun sweetly as he did so.

 

Yixing lay on his back, Shixun draped over him. Stroking his dragon’s hair, Yixing asked tentatively, “Shixun… … just now… … was it okay?”

 

Shixun pouted down at Yixing, peering down reproachfully at Yixing from underneath his lashes.

 

“Yixing ge-ge is so naughty! Yixing ge-ge acts all moral and upright all the time, but actually, Yixing ge-ge is so… … so… … naughty!”

 

“But… … you liked it?”

 

Yixing tried not to sound as nervous as he felt.

 

Shixun did not answer Yixing, but he blushed prettily, a small hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, and this gave Yixing all the answer he needed. Yixing pulled Shixun back down, pillowing Shixun’s head on his shoulder and hugging his dragon close to him. He dropped a gentle kiss on the top of Shixun’s forehead.

 

“Shixun belongs completely to Yixing ge-ge now. Shixun has given himself totally to Yixing ge-ge. Yixing ge-ge must take responsibility!”

 

“Yes, I would. You know I would, Shixun.”

 

“This means that Yixing ge-ge can’t leave Shixun now, no matter what!” Shixun squirmed out of Yixing’s arms, propping himself on his elbows so that he could look Yixing in the eye. “No matter what any of my brothers say, or what my father says, Yixing ge-ge cannot leave Shixun now.”

 

Yixing met Shixun’s eye, looking at him openly and sincerely.

 

“I will never leave Shixun. Not for as long as I live.”

 

Shixun bent down to kiss Yixing fiercely. When Shixun pulled back, Yixing saw that Shixun’s eyes filled with tears. Using his thumb, Yixing gently brushed away the tears that leaked out the corners of his eyes.

 

“Eight years ago, when I left you, I had thought it would be for your benefit, that you would be better off without me. But these eight years we were apart, you had not lived a better life. You were captured and held prisoner, and I hadn’t even known. For the rest of my life, I am never letting you out of my sight again.”

 

Smiling happily, Shixun bent down to kiss Yixing. Their kiss was long and sweet, until Shixun broke it to pout down reproachfully at Yixing.

 

“Yixing ge-ge is being naughty again!”

 

“It’s only because Shixun is so beautiful,” Yixing said sincerely, stroking Shixun’s hair and rolling Shixun on his back.

 

Yixing leaned down to kiss Shixun. He did not know what tomorrow would bring. He knew that his life, compared to Shixun’s, was as fleeting as the burning of a matchstick. But as long as it lasted, Yixing swore that he would make every moment he had with Shixun count, treasure each and every touch, every kiss and every word.

 

Shixun was his dragon, and he would never leave Shixun again.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I borrowed the opening lantern saving scene from Lethal Weapons of Love and Passion.
> 
> Yuan Xiao Festival is on the 15th day of the first month of the year, as according to the lunar calander. It marks the end of the 15 days of celebration for Chinese New Year. It is similar to Valentine's Day in western culture. People carry lanterns and also eat sweet dumplings in soup (tang yuan). 
> 
> Summoning the East Wind is a reference to The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Cao Cao, who had the largest army out of the three kingdoms, was marching in to conquer the other two. But his army consisted of mainly horsemen, who got seasick when they rode ships when battling on the river. So, he ordered all the ships to be tied together with chains, making the ships very stable. Unfortunately, this gave Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu a loophole they could take advantage of. Because all the ships were tied together, if a fire burnt, it will spread to all the ships and destroy them. There was one flaw in their plan. The wind was blowing in the wrong direction because of the time of the year. Even if they set fire to Cao Cao's ships, the wind will blow the fire towards their own ships, instead of spreading the fire across all of Cao Cao's ships. But Zhuge Liang was not only a brilliant military strategist, he was also trained in the arcane, and through a Taoist rite, he summoned the East Wind. Once the East Wind blew, Zhuge Liang gave the order to fire burning arrows at Cao Cao's ships, and the battle of the Red Cliff was won. Just an interesting anecdote, unrelated to this fic. Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a historical novel. While the characters and settings are real, a lot of the action is fictional or very much embellished.
> 
> Xizhang = Tibet  
> Takelamagan Desert = Taklamakan Desert  
> Gebi Desert = Gobi Desert  
> Keshen = Kashgar (an oasis town in the Taklamakan Desert)  
> Akesu = Aksu (an oasis town near the Tian Mountain)  
> Tian = Sky/Heaven, thus Tian Mountain means Sky Mountain, or Heaven Mountain (it's not a single mountain, but a mountain range)
> 
> The route the Sons of Mount Shu take starts from Mount Shu (in Hefei province, slightly to the left of Nanjing on the map), past Sichuan (where Chengdu is on the map), then Tibet, and the Takla Makan Desert before reaching Tian Mountain (Tien Shan on the map).  
> 


	11. Chapter 11

Yixing and Shixun had always been close, physically very touchy, but the morning after, they were closer like never before. They dressed each other and washed up, trading kisses and hugs, not bearing to stray even an arm’s length from each other.

 

They walked hand in hand, heading to the same mountain stream from the day before to catch a fish for breakfast, when they spotted the other Sons of Mount Shu in the sky. Shixun produced the _Yi Tian_ sword out of thin air, and they both threw out their swords and soared into the sky to meet with the other Mount Shu disciples.

 

“Second Brother!”                   

 

Shixun immediately flew to Junmian, who was carrying Lu Han in his arms. He hovered anxiously in the air, inspecting Lu Han for any injuries. Lu Han was delirious. His eyes opened momentarily when Shixun called him, but he only looked unfocused into space before he lost consciousness again.

 

Canlie was also carrying an unfamiliar man on his back. Yixing and Shixun flew towards him.

 

“Oldest Brother!”

 

Compared to Lu Han, Yifan seemed to be faring slightly better. He was conscious, though he seemed very weak.

 

“Shixun. You are all right. I’m glad.”

 

Shixun was in tears. Yixing knew that no matter what Shixun said, he respected and admired his brothers very much, and seeing them like this hurt him.

 

“I’ll carry the First Dragon Prince,” said Yixing to Canlie. “You must be tired.”

 

With Shixun’s help, they transferred Yifan from Canlie’s back to Yixing’s. After that, Shixun took over Lu Han from Junmian. They flew away quickly, not wanting to stay on the Tian Mountain, which was too close to the gateway to the Heavenly and Demonic Realms.

 

They camped in the middle of the Takelamagan Desert, a distance from the town of Akesu. Junmian was unwilling to spend the night in the oasis town itself, in case of demon pursuers. If a fight broke out, Junmian did not want any of the townfolks to be hurt. Junmian returned Yixing the _Qing Gang_ Sword, and Yixing gave Jumian back his sword as well. They found a rocky outcrop in the desert and camped under it for the night. It was a tight fit, but the rock cover meant they were invisible from any pursuers from the sky. If anyone flew over them, they would see only a huge rock in the middle of the desert, and no signs of any human life at all. Kai and Jingxiu were sent to Akesu to buy food and water, as well as blankets and other travel supplies for the dragon princes.

 

The First and Second Dragon Princes slept fitfully throughout the night. Shixun hovered anxiously over both of them, covering them warmly under thick blankets, and feeding them food and water during the momentary instances when they woke. Shixun lifted Lu Han’s head and put it on his lap, letting Lu Han sleep with his head pillowed on Shixun’s lap. Lu Han seemed to sleep more peacefully after that. Yixing kept vigil next to Shixun, feeding Shixun dried rations and water, as Shixun was now immobile with his second brother asleep in his lap.

 

Soon, all the Sons of Mount Shu fell asleep. Only Yixing and Shixun remained awake. It was the dead of the night. Silence hung in the air. The desert was cold and still, with no winds stirring up the sand. Beyond the roof of rock, Yixing could not see much in the darkness beyond the numerous stars that shone brightly in the clear night sky. Lu Han was soundly asleep in Shixun’s lap, and Yifan lay nearby. For the first time, Yixing had the time to really look at Yifan. The night was dark, but Yifan was near enough for Yixing to make out his facial features. Like both his brothers, he was uncommonly good looking, as if his face were sculpted by the gods. He had a strong jawline, high cheekbones and a high nose. He had thick eyebrows that sloped downwards towards his nose, giving him a stern, almost angry look. His lips were full, and even as he slept, he looked regal and composed.

 

“What will we do now?” asked Shixun, breaking the silence of the night.

 

“Second _shixiong_ says we should go back to Mount Shu to consult with our teachers. Mount Shu is built on sacred ground, and we have many Toaist protective formations built into our perimeters. We should be able to withstand a demon attack there. Second _shixiong_ says that when the demons discover that the three of you are gone, they are unlikely to suspect that the rescue came from the Human Realm. They would probably give chase in the Heavenly Realm first. It will be some time before they realise that they should be looking in the Human Realm instead. By this time, we should have reached the safety of Mount Shu.”

 

“My father is still in captivity,” said Shixun quietly.

 

“We’ll save him,” promised Yixing, reaching over to take Shixun’s hand into his own. “Humans aren’t susceptible to the Dragon’s Bane, so they won’t be able to use that against us. Do you know where he is held?”

 

Shixun shook his head, looking fornlorn.

 

“I only know he’s been held by the Demon King.”

 

“We’ll take him down,” said Yixing, squeezing Shixun’s hand reassuringly. “And free your father.”

 

Yixing and Shixun both fell silent after that, sitting side by side watching the stars. Shixun’s eyes became increasingly droopy until he nodded off on Yixing’s shoulder. Yixing stayed awake, keeping watch for demon pursuers as instructed by Junmian.

 

The next morning, the Sons of Mount Shu gathered round for a meal of flat bread, paired with dried fruits and nuts that Kai and Jingxiu had bought from Akesu. In the middle of the meal, a tall imposing figure joined them. A silence immediately descended.

 

If Yixing had thought Yifan was good looking last night, in the dark when he could barely make out Yifan’s facial features, he was even more beautiful now, and twice as intimidating. Yixing abruptly realised that he should probably be grateful that it was Lu Han who had found Shixun together with him eight years ago. If it had been Yifan, he might have killed Yixing on the spot.

 

“First Dragon Prince.” It was Junmian who spoke. “We hope that you are feeling well?”

 

“I am much recovered. Thank you. I am indebted to Mount Shu.”

 

Yifan’s voice was soft, less intimidating than what Yixing was expecting. The way he pronounced his words was slightly slurred, as if the syllables that should have been individually pronounced were joined together. There was nothing wrong with this, but it was unlike what Yixing had expected. It was rather like how Shixun himself spoke. It was just that Yixing had somehow imagined that the First Son of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea would speak with crystal clear pronunciation.

 

“I am Jin Junmian, Second Son of Mount Shu.”

 

Taking their cue from Junmian, the other Sons of Mount Shu also introduced themselves, going down in line, until it was Yixing’s turn.

 

“I am Zhang Yixing, Eighth Son of Mount Shu.”

 

Yifan’s eyes were on him, penetrating and judgemental. A swell of nervousness rose within Yixing, but he forced himself to stay calm.

 

“Oldest Brother!”

 

Shixun practically flung himself onto his brother, kneeling in between his legs as he put his arms around Yifan’s waist and his head on Yifan’s shoulder. Yifan’s cold demeanour melted. There was only softness in his eyes as he held his youngest brother.

 

“Shixun, are you all right? Are you hurt in anyway?”

 

Shixun shook his head, tears in his eyes.

 

“Good. I’m glad. It must have been hard on you. Oldest Brother should have protected you better.”

 

“Oldest Brother and Second Brother were caught too!”

 

“You are the youngest. Before Mother died, she asked us to take care of you. I have failed her.”

 

Shixun buried himself in his oldest brother’s embrace. Yifan held Shixun for a long time, until Lu Han woke up as well and joined them. He sat himself down next to Yifan, and Shixun promptly transferred himself from Yifan’s arms to Lu Han’s. It was Yixing’s first time sitting in Shixun’s proximity, but not have Shixun hanging off him. Even then, Yixing smiled on tenderly at Shixun, happy for Shixun that he had reunited with his brothers.

 

Now that he no longer had Shixun in his arms, Junmian passed Yifan a piece of flat bread. At the smell of food, Shixun looked up from Lu Han’s shoulder. He sat up and disentangled himself from Lu Han, so that Junmian could pass a piece of flat bread to Lu Han too. Yixing also passed Shixun a piece of flat bread. This brought Shixun’s attention back to Yixing.

 

“Yixing ge-ge!”

 

Shixun promptly left Lu Han’s side to deposit himself next to Yixing, leaning into Yixing as he nibbled his piece of flat bread daintily. While Lu Han looked outwardly neutral, Yixing could feel waves of cold disapproval radiating off Yifan. Yixing swallowed nervously, but relaxed somewhat when Yifan did not say or do anything. If not for the Sons of Mount Shu, the three dragon princes would still be held in captivity, and Yixing supposed it was this that prevented Yifan from voicing any objections.  

 

“Can you tell us more of the Demon King?” asked Junmian.

 

“He looks young. If you look at his human form, he looks no older than a boy of sixteen. But all the demons, even the ancient and powerful ones, all listen to him. Strength is the only thing demons submit to, so he must be more powerful than them. When we were battling the demons, he was there, but he did not join in the battle, leaving the fighting to his troops, so we have not seen firsthand how he fights. But we have spoken to a couple of other dieties who have fought him before, like Nezha and Erlang Shen, and they say that he is capable of controlling all five elements in battle.”

 

“All five elements?” asked Jingxiu. “But that’s impossible.”

 

“We had thought it impossible too,” said Yifan grimly. “We sea dragons can only fight with one element, water. Nezha also only fights using the fire element, with his Wind-Fire Wheels and Fire-tipped Spear. Erlang Shen also can use lightning in battle. But for a single entity to be able to use all five elements of wood, fire, metal, lightning and water? No immortal or demon has been able to do this since Pangu opened the skies.”

 

“Do you have any plans?” asked Junmian.

 

“We will send word to the Jade Emperor’s court, to let them know that we have escaped, and to ask about the current plans of the Jade Emperor,” said Yifan.

 

“How are you going to contact the Jade Emperor’s court?” asked Boxian curiously.

 

Yifan looked around. “There’s nothing but sand here. But once we go to a place with fertile soil, contacting the Earth Diety shouldn’t be a problem.”

 

Boxian looked impressed.

 

“Can you do this too?” Boxian asked Shixun. “Contact other dieties?”

 

“Oh yes!” said Shixun. “I like the Earth Diety! He’s this nice old man. Last time, before I got to know Yixing ge-ge, I was bored all the time with nothing to do. So now and then I’ll go to the islands in the middle of the Eastern Sea and summon the Earth Diety. He’ll give me nice treats from the Human Realm and tell me stories about it. He’ll cover for me too, whenever my father caught me chatting with him. He’ll tell my father that we’ve only chatted for a while, when actually it had been days, and that I had been practicing hard on my martial arts and meditation in The Way, when in actual fact all I had been doing was listening to his stories all the day long, and… …”

 

Shixun abruptly stopped when Chen reached over and squeezed his hand. Shixun’s and Chen’s eyes met, and Chen slid his gaze to the left. Shixun’s eyes followed his, and his gaze landed on his two older brothers. While Lu Han was looking fondly exasperated, Yifan’s expression was coldly thunderous. Shixun blanched slightly and shrank behind Yixing.

 

“Bored all the time with nothing to do? I can think of at least half a dozen things that you should have been doing.”

 

Shixun clutched Yixing’s robes, and peeked at Lu Han from behind Yixing’s shoulder. He looked pleadingly at his second brother.

 

“Your oldest brother is right, Shixun. You are too playful.”

 

Shixun pouted, turning his face away from Lu Han angrily as if Lu Han had betrayed his trust. He buried his face into Yixing’s sleeve.

 

“Shixun, your brothers are right,” said Yixing gently. “You should apologise to them.”

 

Shixun looked up from Yixing’s sleeve, putting on his most pitiful look.

 

“I have two younger brothers at home too,” Yixing reminded Shixun. “I would say the same thing to them, if I knew they were slacking off in their studies.”

 

Shixun immediately looked contrite.

 

“Oldest Brother, Second Brother, I’m sorry.”’

 

Yifan looked taken aback, as if Shixun apologising so easily was something that was unheard of. Lu Han smiled fondly at his younger brother.

 

“Shixun is young,” he said to Yifan. “It’s only natural that he is playful. He will settle down when he gets older.”

 

“You have been saying that for 500 years already,” said Yifan. “He’s not a child anymore.”

 

“Yes, that’s right. Shixun is 506 years old now,” said Lu Han, holding out a hand to Shixun. Shixun put his hand in his second brother’s, and Lu Han pulled Shixun away from Yixing and back to his side. “Your 500th birthday passed when we were in captivity. You’ve come of age!”

 

Shixun beamed at Lu Han, his eyes closed into crescent moons as he basked in his second brother’s affections.

 

“We were supposed to have a big celebration when you turned 500,” said Lu Han with a sigh. “We’ll make it up to you, after the war is over and Father has been freed.”

 

Shixun shook his head.

 

“Shixun doesn’t need a big celebration! All Shixun wants is for Father, Oldest Brother and Second Brother to be safe and healthy.”

 

Lu Han smiled at him.

 

“What did I tell you?” said Lu Han to Yifan. “Shixun is all grown up already.”

 

“And also, Shixun wants to be with Yixing ge-ge forever!”

 

This declaration was met with silence. Both Yifan and Lu Han looked strained, but neither of them said anything. Seemingly unaffected by the suddenly awkward atmosphere, Shixun happily settled back down next to Yixing, slipping his hand under Yixing’s arm and snuggling into Yixing’s shoulder. True to his promise that he would stay by Shixun’s side no matter what form of pressure he might face, Yixing did not shy away from Shixun’s touch, but instead leaned into Shixun as well. Shixun beamed up at Yixing. His eyes were filled love and trust, and Yixing’s heart ached.

 

After breakfast, Shixun eagerly wanted to teach his brothers sword-flying, but his excitement deflated when he realised they already knew how to do it. When Mount Shu’s ancestors had developed the art of sword flying, it had apparently caused quite the stir in the Heavenly Realm. All the immortals were talking about this group of mortals who could fly, and word had soon reached Yifan and Lu Han. Like Shixun had done when he had seen Canlie fly for the first time, they too had immediately figured out how it was done. Disappointed that it wasn’t his turn to teach his brothers something for once, Shixun slunk back to Yixing’s side, pouting. Yifan and Lu Han produced swords out of thin air, and with that, they set off.

 

Yixing led the navigations. Shixun flew next to him, offering his opinions on the directions. Like Yixing, Shixun knew how to read the positions of the sun and the stars, and Yixing suspected that his two brothers did too, though they made no comments on Yixing’s chosen flight route. Shixun’s help gave Yixing a lot more confidence that their route was correct, and he was able to lead the party with more decisiveness. Fears of a demon pursuit had them flying at a fast pace, on high alert at all times. Like at Akesu, they steered clear of all the other desert oasis towns, only sending in a couple of disciples to buy supplies as they camped out in the open desert when night fell.

 

When they entered the Xizhang Plateau, they found a secluded grassland, far from prying human eyes. The Sons of Mount Shu gathered round, watching as Yifan dropped to one knee, placing his palm deep inside the fertile loamy earth, his eyes closed in concerntration.

 

For a few moments, nothing happened. Then the air in front of Yifan seemed to gather and spin. There was a grey shadow spinning inside the column of whirling air. The shadow became more and more solid. When the spinning air settled, a bearded old man stood before them. He wore long brown robes and a soft blue cap. He leaned on an old gnarled walking stick. Yifan straightened up. Lu Han and Shixun stepped up behind him. The Earth Diety and the three dragon princes bowed to each other, left hand over right clenched fist.

 

“Greetings, Earth Diety,” said Yifan.

 

“Greeting, Dragon Princes. It warms this old man’s heart to see you well. We at the Jade Emperor’s Court had feared for you.”

 

“We owe our escape to Mount Shu,” said Yifan, indicating the Sons of Mount Shu with a sweep of his arm.

 

The Earth Diety inclined his head towards the Sons of Mount Shu.

 

“This old man will report the deeds of Mount Shu to the Jade Emperor. This old man believes the Jade Emperor will be fair in his rewards to Mount Shu.”

 

The Sons of Mount Shu all bowed to the Earth Diety.

 

“The Sons of Mount Shu pay our respects to the Earth Diety,” said Junmian. “Mount Shu is duty bound to fight against demons, and does not request any rewards.”

 

Before the Earth Diety or Junmian could engage in further pleasantries, Shixun cut in, seemingly unable to hold himself back any longer.

 

“Earth Diety!”

 

Shixun bounced up to the Earth Diety, tugging at his elbow. The Earth Diety beamed at Shixun and ruffled his hair.

 

“Little Dragon Prince. This old man is so happy to see you.”

 

“Earth Diety, Shixun suffered so much!” Shixun pouted, his lower lip trembling and his eyes filling with tears.

 

“This old man knows, this old man knows,” said the Earth Diety comfortingly, patting Shixun’s hand. “We’ll exact revenge on the demons for Little Dragon Prince.”

 

“What are the Jade Emperor’s plans?” asked Yifan.

 

“The Jade Emperor is mobilising his troops. Erlang Shen has been appointed commander-in-chief. The day of the final battle will come soon.”

 

“Erlang Shen’s Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear is formidable… … But he uses only lightning in battle… … On the other hand, the Demon King can use all five elements… ….” said Yifan.

 

“Erlang Shen is strongest general in the Heavenly Realm,” said the Earth Diety. “He is our biggest hope.”

 

“Has the Jade Emperor found out more about the background of the Demon King?”

 

“Erlang Shen was able to use his truth-seeing third eye to see the Demon King for who he is. He is a young _qilin_ demon, with not that much cultivation in The Way as expected. He is only 500 years old.”

 

“500 years old?! But that is the same age as Shixun! How can he be so much more powerful than Shixun? That’s impossible!”

 

“We cannot understand this too. It is strange, but the world is full of strange things Little Dragon Prince.”

 

The Earth Diety turned to Yifan and Lu Han.

 

“Would you be returning to the Dragon Palace, or back with me to the Heavenly Court?”

 

“I would like to pay a visit to Mount Shu,” said Lu Han, sliding a glance at Junmian, who looked surprised. “The Sons of Mount Shu talked about a book in their library that mentions the Dragon’s Bane herb. I would like to read that book, if the Sons of Mount Shu are willing to host us?”

 

“Of course,” said Junmian, and Lu Han smiled at him. It was a small smile, that barely curled the corners of his lips, but it seemed to light up the whole of Lu Han’s face. Junmian smiled back too, which surprised Yixing, since Junmian usually conducted himself with nothing except professionalism.

 

Shixun was beside himself with joy.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, we’re going back with you to Mount Shu!”

 

He skipped back to Yixing’s side and flung his arms around Yixing’s neck. Yixing smiled indulgently at Shixun as he hugged his dragon to him, but Yifan was frowning at them.

 

“Shixun, come back here. Where are your manners? Don’t behave inappropriately with a mortal in front of the Earth Deity.”

 

Shixun reluctantly disengaged himself from Yixing and went to stand beside Lu Han. Lu Han smiled fondly at his pouty younger brother and put an arm around Shixun. The Earth Deity chuckled as he stroked his beard.

 

“It’s quite alright, First Dragon Prince, quite alright. Little Dragon Prince is young. Don’t be too hard on Little Dragon Prince on this old man’s account.”

Shixun looked a mollified at this. He glanced over smugly at his oldest brother, as if to say, _See? It’s not just me. Other people think you are too strict with me too!_ Yifan looked completely unmoved, causing Shixun to pout some more.

 

The Mount Shu disciples respectfully knelt down as the Earth Deity took his leave, disappearing into the ground in a whirl of swirling robes.

 

“You’ll like Mount Shu!” said Shixun excitedly to his brothers. “It’s really lovely. It’s all rolling mountains and blankets of clouds and clear blue skies. If you go to the higher peaks, you can see snow! Snow is the best, it’s so cold and pretty and white and nice to touch and‒”

 

“We’re not going there to play, Shixun,” said Yifan sternly. “We’re going there to find out more about the Dragon’s Bane. After that, we go immediately to save Father.”

 

Shixun obediently fell silent, but the instant Yifan’s back was turned, he stuck out his tongue at his oldest brother, causing Lu Han to smack him on the forehead. Clutching his forehead in pain, Shixun pouted reproachfully at his second brother, blinking at him from under tear-filled lashes. Immediately giving in, Lu Han drew Shixun into his arms and rubbed his forehead for him comfortingly.

 

Though they were constantly on high alert, the rest of the journey back proved to be uneventful. The demons had either not yet realised that the three dragon princes were free, or had given chase in the wrong direction, or had not thought it worth their time and resources to recapture the three dragon princes. Nevertheless, Yixing internally heaved a sigh of relief when they flew into Mount Shu at last.

 

The Sons of Mount Shu paid their respects to their masters, and introduced the dragon princes to them. Yifan and Lu Han were put up in the guest quarters, but Shixun stayed in Yixing’s hut, just like he had when he was a Son of Mount Shu. The Masters of Mount Shu, the dragon princes, as well as Xiumin, Junmian and Jingxiu holed up in the library, researching on the Dragon’s Bane. Shixun, on the other hand, spent all day following Yixing around.

 

“Yixing ge-ge,” said Shixun, dangling his bare toes so that they dipped intermittently into the icy mountain stream. His boots were placed neatly in the snow next to him. They had just spent the better half of the morning practising their _qinggong_ , and were now on a neighbouring mountain peak, a distance away from Mount Shu. “You know, I was just thinking of the Sun Moon Lake island… …”

 

Yixing stiffened, alarmed that Shixun had been thinking of the place where had been imprisoned for so long. Seeming to read Yixing’s mind, Shixun squeezed Yixing’s hand reassuringly to let Yixing know he was all right.

 

“I was just thinking… … do you know that the Peach Tree of Immortaility is located somewhere near the Sun Moon Lake Island? I’ve never been seen it before, because only _Wangmu-niangniang_ and her servants are supposed to have access to the Peach Tree of Immortality. But after we save my father and defeat the Demon King, let’s go look for the Peach Tree of Immortality together! I bet there will be a big celebration after the Demon King’s defeat. All the immortals will be busy celebrating, and we should be able to sneak past all the guards easily, and steal a peach. Once Yixing ge-ge eats the peach, Yixing ge-ge will become immortal just like Shixun, and then Yixing ge-ge and Shixun can be together forever!”

 

Stunned, Yixing slowly digested Yixing’s words. Becoming immortal was something Yixing had never once considered. Shixun was looking expectantly at Yixing, his face shining was excitement. Be with Shixun forever? The thought was so, so tempting. Yixing had never wanted something so much in his life. But then… …

 

“Stealing is wrong, Shixun.”

 

Shixun’s face fell. He promptly peeled himself away from Yixing’s side, and shuffled down a little, putting a distance between himself and Yixing. He folded his arms and pouted angrily.

                                                                                                                               

“Yixing ge-ge is so naughty every night, when it comes to… …. to… … taking your pleasure from Shixun. But why must Yixing ge-ge be so moral and upright when it comes to everything else? Why can’t Yixing ge-ge be naughty in other things as well?”

 

Yixing shifted down, so that he was side by side with Shixun. Huffing, Shixun shifted down again. Yixing followed. Shixun shifted down again. Yixing followed again. This time Shixun stayed where he was, but he continued to fold his arms and pout, pointedly refusing to look at Yixing. Yixing leaned in to kiss his pouty dragon, but Shixun stubbornly turned his head to the side so that Yixing’s kiss landed on his cheek. Undeterred, Yixing gently turned Shixun’s face to him. Yixing held Shixun’s face in place as he planted a kiss full on the pout. Shixun kept his pout firmly in place, but Yixing was patient as he kissed Shixun, until his warm lips eventually managed to coax a response out of his dragon.

 

They were kissing in earnest when Yixing pushed Shixun on his back on the snow. Shixun pouted up reproachfully at Yixing as Yixing’s hands roamed around, slipping underneath folds of cloth to run over bare skin.

 

“Is Yixing ge-ge being naughty again? No, Shixun won’t allow it,” said Shixun, trying to push Yixing off him and squirm away. “Shixun won’t give it to Yixing ge-ge, not unless Yixing ge-ge promises to try to steal the Peach of Immortality.”

 

When Shixun tried to push Yixing off him, he hadn’t reinforced the movement with _qi_ , but when Yixing countered Shixun’s movement, he did. As a result, Yixing easily pinned Shixun’s wrists down, so that they were on either side of Shixun’s head, clamped down in the snow with Yixing’s fingers wrapped firmly around them.

 

“Yixing ge-ge is such a bully!”

 

Yixing’s only response was to lean down and kiss his dragon. Shixun’s martial arts was much stronger than Yixing, and they both knew it. At any time, if he really wanted to, Shixun could push Yixing off him, but Shixun did not. Yixing’s thought as he saw the sight of Shixun beneath him, his head pillowed against the backdrop of white snow as every thrust pushed him so that his back slid upwards against the soft velvety snow, was that Shixun was truly beautiful.

 

Afterwards, Yixing hugged his dragon close to him as he lay with his back in the snow.

 

“If Yixing ge-ge doesn’t want to steal the Peach of Immortality, Shixun will die together with Yixing ge-ge.” Shixun had tears in his eyes. “Shixun won’t live alone without Yixing ge-ge.”

 

Yixing’s heart ached at the thought of a world without Shixun in it. Yet at the same time, he knew it wouldn’t be fair to Shixun to force him to continue living in pain after Yixing had died, so Yixing said nothing as he kissed his dragon on the forehead.

 

When they returned to Mount Shu, they saw that the everyone had already gathered in the Main Hall. For the past week, it was rare to see the Masters of Mount Shu, Yifan, Lu Han, Xiumin, Junmian and Jingxiu to be out of the library. This could only mean one thing‒ that they had found out the way to counter the Dragon’s Bane.

 

A table had been set up in the centre of the Main Hall, and everyone was gathered around an open tome that lay in the middle of it. Like the book that had led them to the Sun Moon Lake, it was written is archaic script, which Yixing could not understand, but Shixun could.

 

“The Dragon is the mightiest of all creatures, but with every yang, there is a yin,” read Shixun. “The dragon rules the earth beneath the sky that Pangu separated, but it may be brought to heel by a humble plant that it could crush beneath its mighty claws. Called the Dragon’s Bane, it is no more than a weed that grows in the ashes left behind when the Blood Pheonix burns itself and regenerates. When burnt, the leaves of the Dragon’s Bane produce a thick purple smoke that would render the most powerful of dragons helpless. The only antidote lies in the flower of the same plant. The Dragon’s Bane flowers only once every 1,000 years. When a Blood Pheonix reaches the end of its life, it takes its own life in a great burst of flame. The great fire burns out everything, including the fields of Dragon’s Bane growing the ashes throughout the entire Isle of the Phoenix. But from the ashes, a baby Blood Pheonix rises again. And just as the Blood Pheonix regenerates, shoots of new Dragon’s Bane grow up again, from roots buried deep inside the ash. And with this new growth, the Dragon’s Bane flowers, so that flowers may become fruits, and from the fruits, seeds to spread the Dragon’s Bane anew.  Just like the Blood Pheonix that gives it life, the flower of the Dragon’s Bane is blood red. Also known as Blood Flowers, when harvested and boiled down to a thick paste, it can be smeared on the nostrils of a dragon. In doing so, it may neutralise the poisonous effects of the purple fumes, allowing dragons to breathe in the fumes and be unaffected.”

 

Shixun looked up from the book excitedly.

 

“This is great news! Let’s go look for Old Uncle Fenghuang. Maybe he can tell us more!”

 

“Who’s Old Uncle Fenghuang?” asked Boxian.

 

“He’s a Blood Pheonix. He’s a good friend of my father, so he visits the Eastern Sea often. He’s really long-winded, like my father. He says the same thing again and again, and he often forgets what he has just said. He really nice to Shixun though! Shixun is the youngest, so he dotes on Shixun the most. If we go find him, he’ll surely help us, and‒”

 

“Old Uncle Fenghuang is a thousand years old. He turned one thousand years old exactly just yesterday,” said Yifan.

 

“Oh.” Shixun’s face fell.

 

“What’s the matter?” asked Yixing, instantly concerned.

 

“If Old Uncle Fenghuang turned a thousand years old… … it means he has… … he has… … ” Shixun broke off, unable to continue his sentence.

 

“Blood Phoenixes reach the end of their lifespan when they turn a thousand years old,” said Yifan. “The new shoots of Dragon’s Bane are growing up from the ashes as we speak. If we want to harvest the Blood Flowers, the time is now.”

 

“But Old Uncle Fenghuang… …” Shixun looked miserable.

 

“He has been reborn,” said Lu Han comfortingly. “When we go harvest the Blood Flowers, we’ll see him there. He’ll be a newborn phoenix chick.”

 

“But will he recognise us? Will he remember Shixun?”

 

Lu Han shook his head. Shixun lowered his eyes. They were brimming with tears.

 

“He’s still the same Old Uncle Fenghuang on the inside. He won’t remember us, but he can get to know us all over again.”

 

Shixun allowed Lu Han to pull him into a hug. When Lu Han was putting his arms around his younger brother, his eyes met with Yixing’s. The moment was fleeting, but even then, Yixing clearly understood what Lu Han wanted to convey to him in the simple meeting of their eyes‒ _If Shixun is this upset because of the passing of Old Uncle Fenghuang, how much more upset will he be when you die?_

 

This was something that Yixing could not answer, so he merely lowered his eyes and broke eye contact with Lu Han.

 

“Do you know how to get to the Blood Flowers?” asked Chen.

 

“At the end of their lifespans, Blood Phoenixes go to the Isle of the Phoenix to die,” replied Yifan.

 

“The Sons of Mount Shu stand with you, First Dragon Prince,” said Junmian. “Lead the way.”

 

The Sons of Mount Shu bowed to their teachers. Yifan led the way out of the Main Hall. Walking to the edge of the cliff, Yifan stepped lightly off it. As he plunged into the clouded abyss below, his body shimmered and changed, and soon, a great black dragon soared towards the heavens, light reflecting off the obsidian scales. Lu Han did the same, a pure white dragon flying side by side the black one. The two dragons turned back to look at Shixun. Following in his brothers’ footsteps, Shixun lightly stepped off the cliff edge. His plummeting body disappeared over the edge of the cliff, but a heartbeat later, the head of a shiny silver dragon poked over the edge. Yixing smiled as the silver dragon nuzzled into him, his nose as wide as Yixing’s whole stomach, his whiskers tickling Yixing, making Yixing chuckled. Yixing climbed onto the silver dragon’s back, sitting at the juncture just behind Shixun’s head, holding onto Shixun’s horns. The other Sons of Mount Shu took to the air on the swords.

 

They travelled back towards the Tian Mountain, where the gateway to the Heavenly Realm was. The Mount Shu disciples soon realised that the dragons could travel at a much faster speed than they could fly on their swords, so for the remainder of the journey, Junmian, Zhongren and Jingxiu rode on Lu Han’s back, Chen, Boxian and Xiumin rode on Yifan’s back, while Canlie rode with Yixing on Shixun’s back. Yixing liked riding on Shixun. Yixing could sense that Shixun was happy in his dragon form, comfortable and relaxed in his own skin, and Yixing liked seeing Shixun that way.

 

With the three dragons carrying them, they passed through the gateway to the Heavenly Realm without any issues. Once again, Yixing was amazed by the blankets of rolling clouds and floating islands, and the overall foreigness of it all. This time, they flew in a different direction, towards the north, leaving the Sun Moon Lake Island and the Demonic Realm far behind them, flying further inwards towards the Heavenly Realm.

 

Before long, they reached an island that was visible even from a distance because the whole island seemed to glow bright red, like the glow from red coals. They landed on the island and Yixing slid off Shixun’s back. The island was so hot, Yixing was already perspiring profusely even though they had just landed.

 

“Are you alright, Yixing ge-ge?” asked Shixun anxiously, having just shifted back to his human form. He used the base of his sleeve to dab at the beads of sweat hanging on Yixing’s forehead. “I know it must be hot for you. Humans don’t withstand heat as well as dragons… …”

 

“I’m fine,” said Yixing, smiling and taking Shixun’s hand in his.

 

They joined the others, who had already fanned out around the island. Walking on the island was hard, because wherever one walked, one’s foot sank into thick layers of black ash. Beneath the ash was solid rock which glowed bright red, crimson light emanating upwards through the layers of ash. In the centre of the island, lay a hollow crater. The dragon princes and the Mount Shu disciples walked carefully towards it.

 

Yifan knelt down on one knee. A little beak poked out from underneath the ash. A little red-feathered head followed it. The little bird titled its head to the side, regarding Yifan curiously as Yifan stroked a finger down the back of its feather head. Lu Han knelt down next to the bird, holding out his open palms to it. The baby bird jumped up into the palms of Lu Han’s hands. Cradling the bird gently in his hands, Lu Han held out the bird to Shixun.

 

“Shixun,” said Lu Han. “Come, meet Old Uncle Fenghuang.”

 

Shixun’s eyes were teary, but at Lu Han’s encouragement, he slowly approached the baby phoenix. The baby phoenix let a chirp, a sound as pure and beautiful as a musical note. Using its tiny short legs, he hopped from the palms of Lu Han’s hands into Shixun’s.

 

“He likes you,” said Lu Han, smiling encouragingly at his little brother.

 

Shixun cooed at it. He turned towards Yixing and the other Sons of Mount Shu, holding out the baby phoenix.

 

“Come and look. But don’t touch, okay? The feathers of the phoenix will burn humans.”

 

Yixing and the other Mount Shu disciples crowded around Shixun, admiring the little feathered phoenix. Now that he was inspecting the bird at closer range, Yixing could see the tongues of flames burning at the tips of the phoenix’s feathers.

 

“Come,” said Junmian, ever the practical one. “Let’s harvest the Blood Flowers now.”

 

Amongst the ash, stalks of ferns grew sporadically. Some were full leaves, but others were still rolled up stubs that were just unfurling. At the base of the ferns, cradled under the protection of the big leaves, were tiny little red flowers. Shaped like little red bells, they sported five petals each. They glowed with a translucent light, much like the glowing red rock from which they came from.

 

As the Dragon’s Bane leaves might be poisonous to the dragons, the three Dragon Princes hung back, leaving it to the Sons of Mount Shu disciples to harvest the bright red flowers. The Mount Shu disciples collected as many Blood Flowers as they could, leaving no leaf unturned. When they were sure they had collected every single Blood Flower there was on the island, Jumian, Xiumin and Jingxiu set about concocting the paste. They put a handful of flowers into a little pot, and poured some water into it. Shixun managed to coax the baby phoenix to cough out a little ball of flame, which burned merrily underneath the pot without the need for any firewood. The water in the pot began to turn crimson. The high heat of the phoenix fire caused the water to boil more quickly than usual, and soon, the water bubbled and boiled. Much of the water began to evaporate in great clouds of steam. Junmian, Jingxiu and Xiumin let the water boil away until it was almost completely gone, before they added in another handful of flowers and filled the pot to the brim with water once again. This process was repeated again and again until a thick red paste was simmering inside the pot. Using a cloth to wrap around the handle, Xiumin carefully lifted the pot off the fire.

 

“We’ll have to wait for this to cool down,” said Junmian. “Then we can test it to see if it really works.”

 

Lu Han leaned over and touched the side of the pot.

 

“Careful!” said Junmian, alarmed. “It’s hot!”

 

Junmian quickly snatched Lu Han’s hands off the pot, holding Lu Han’s hand in his own as he examined it for any injuries. There were none.

 

“I’m a dragon.” Lu Han smiled gently at Junmian. “A little bit of heat won’t hurt me.”

 

Blushing slightly, Junmian quickly let go of Lu Han’s hand. Lu Han placed his hand back on the side of the pot. Almost immediately, a layer of frost coated the side of the pot.

 

“Wha-“ said Xiumin, the cloth wrapped over the handle now protecting his hands from the cold rather than from heat. “How did you do that?”

 

“I’m a water dragon. Manipulating water is easy for me. And making the temperature dip so that the water freezes into ice is but a simple _fashu_.”

 

“That’s amazing!” Shixun eyes were shining with reverence. “Second Brother, you must teach me this _fashu_!”

 

“Of course. All the _fashu_ I know is for you to learn, if only you are hardworking enough to learn them.”

 

Recognising an indirect reprimand when he heard one, Shixun pouted and whined, burrowing himself into Yixing. The baby phoenix chirped at Shixun, concerned, as he flapped his wings on Shixun’s shoulder.

 

With the layer of frost enveloping the pot, its contents cooled down quickly. Xiumin held out the pot to the dragon princes. Both Yifan and Lu Han dipped their fingers into the paste, and smeared a little on their noses. Xiumin held out the pot to Shixun, but he shook his head, wrinkling his nose.

 

“The smell’s too strong,” protested Shixun. Indeed, the paste was now emanating an overpoweringly sweet scent.

 

“I know,” said Yixing gently. “But if it’s going to protect you from the purple fumes, try to endure it, alright?”

 

Yixing scooped out a small amount on his finger and smeared it on Shixun’s nose. Shixun obediently held still, and Yixing smiled at his dragon for his good behaviour.

 

The Sons of Mount Shu put together a small pile of Dragon’s Bane leaves. Junmian held a single frond into the ball of burning phoenix flame until it caught fire. Junmian then dropped the burning frond into pile. The leaves caught fire. Choking purple fumes started to fill the air.

 

Yixing looked anxiously at Shixun. “Are you alright? Do you feel anything?”

 

Shixun shook his head. “Last time, when I breathed in the fumes, I immediately felt weak all over. But now, Shixun feels okay!”

 

“Try to do something,” suggested Junmian. “A _fashu_. Let’s see if you are affected in any way.”

 

Yifan raised his hands. Immediately the white puffy clouds that had been floating genially around them churned and darkened, until the sky was overcast in angry stormclouds. Yifan lowered his hands, and multiple jagged bolts of lightning struck the Isle of Phoenix. Fire broke out where the lightning struck the ground, setting the fields of Dragon’s Bane ablaze. The Sons of Mount Shu quickly took to the air, hovering above the blazing inferno that the island was now engulfed in. Yixing watched as the fields of Dragon’s Bane herb burned into ashes. If the demons were hoping to come here to harvest any more Dragon’s Bane herb, they would find nothing.

 

Lu Han raised his hands. The rolling storm clouds dissipated. Flying atop his sword, Lu Han laid his hand on the edge of the island. Ice crackled and formed underneath his palm, and rapidly radiated outwards, freezing the flaming ground and extinguishing the flames. The clouds above the island started to produce a light snow. In a heartbeat, the previously red-hot and burning Isle of the Phoenix had transformed into a cold winter isle, bleak and desolate in its silent beauty.

 

It was Shixun’s turn. He flew a little way ahead before Yixing, the baby phoenix still perched on his shoulder. Like his brothers before him, he raised his hands. A sudden wind picked up, slowly at first, a gentle breeze that caused the falling snow to flutter and dance in the air. Steadily the wind gained momentum until it became a swirling windstorm. The wind whipped into Yixing, pelting his face with snow and ice. Yixing shivered uncontrollably from head to toe from the suddenly freezing temperature. Underneath him, the _Qing Gang_ sword wobbled unsteadily, threatening to tip Yixing over. Arms flailing, Yixing reached out for whatever he could reach, which happened to be an arm, stretched out towards Yixing to steady him. Yixing blinked, belatedly realising that the arm belonged to Canlie.

 

“Steady,” said Canlie. “Focus your mind. Do not be distracted by the wind. Even if the whole world collaspes around you, keep your hold on your sword steady, and it will be stable beneath you.”

 

It was easier said than done. Clutching onto Canlie’s arm for dear life, Yixing struggled to regain some form of stability on his sword. Shixun turned around, and noticed Yixing’s predicament for the first time.

 

“Yixing ge-ge! Are you all right?”

 

“Shixun!” Yixing cried out in alarm. “Behind you!”

 

Yixing shot through the air, adrenaline steadying the _Qing Gang_ sword beneath his feet. Yixing reached Shixun just in time to wrap his arms around the dragon and pull him out of the way, just before a black-robed figure appeared out of the swirling snow, his hands shaped like claws, grabbing at the spot where Shixun had been only a heartbeat before.

 

Losing his balance, Yixing fell off the _Qing Gang_ Sword, bringing Shixun with him. The two of them cartwheeled through the air, freefalling. Even then, Yixing held Shixun tightly to him, holding Shixun protectively within his embrace.

 

But despite his best efforts, Yixing was unable to hold on to Shixun. He could feel Shixun shifting in his arms, shimmering and transforming. Yixing tumbled through the air a couple more times, then landed snugly on the back of a great silver dragon. A little chirp brought Yixing’s attention to the baby phoenix, who had seated itself comfortably on Shixun’s head, in between his horns. Yixing held out his hand and mentally summoned the _Qing Gang_ Sword to him. It soared through the air, its hilt landing neatly into the palm of Yixing’s hand. Shixun flew upwards, his long body swaying from side to side as they sought to join in the battle that had already broken out.

 

Black-robed demons wearing white masks painted in stripes of red and blue were battling the Sons of Mount Shu. Yifan and Lu Han had already morphed to their dragon forms, and were jointly battling a single demon, the one who had appeared out of the snow storm to attack Shixun. Among all the demons, he was the only one who was unmasked. Yixing was shocked to see that the demon was a mere boy, who looked like he was half Yixing’s age. He has a round face, as if his cheeks had yet to lose all of his baby fat, and big round eyes.

 

Despite his innocent look, he was a deadly fighter. Streams of burning fire shot out from his bare hands, making any attack he made twice as deadly. The two water dragons used jets of water to extinguish the flames. The demon retaliated by sending crackling bolts of lightning into the streams of water, turning the dragons’ own _fashu_ against themselves.

 

Shixun and Yixing entered the fray. Shixun made a direct attack against the demon, his large girth bearing down on the small boy, his teeth bared. The boy made a gesture, and out of thin air, wooden poles appeared, enlarging and growing until they interlocked over the dragon, closing Shixun inside a cage.

 

Yixing looked up. Wooden poles were closing together above his head. Yixing sent his _qi_ to his heels and leapt upwards. He was just in time. Beneath his feet, the wooden poles interlocked into criss-crossing grids. Yixing allowed gravity to pull him downwards so that his feet touched the wooden grid below him. Using it as a launching pad, Yixing shot himself upwards in a somersault.

 

His sword was drawn, a direct thrust aimed at the boy’s heart using _Zi Yan Chuan Lin_ , a move so swift that it was deadly. The boy had not anticipated this, having thought that his wooden cage had been sufficient to take care of both Shixun and Yixing. He was not in time to come up with a counter move. Yixing’s sword was just about to hit home. But instead of the _Qing Gang_ sword sinking into the demon boy’s body, there was an unexpected ring of steel, the sound of metal hitting against metal. Yixing’s sword had hit a metal barrier, the unexpected recoil jarring Yixing’s entire arm.

 

Yixng was forced to somersault backwards in retreat. As his body rotated backwards, Yixing saw what had blocked his attack. The demon boy’s own body, just the part where his heart was, had turned to steel, where it had been flesh only moments before.

 

When Yixing ended his somersault, he found himself landing neatly on Shixun’s back. By this time, the silver dragon had broken out of the wooden cage, and had positioned himself exactly where Yixing would land.

 

Shixun suddenly veered upwards, narrowly avoiding a torrent of water that blasted towards them. The baby phoenix cried out as the sudden movement caused it to fall off its perch, a musical note of distress. Yixing caught it in the palm of his hand. The instant his fingers wrapped around the soft feathery bird, a searing pain engulfed his hand. Yixing quickly deposited the baby phoenix back onto its perch in between Shixun’s horns, but despite how brief the contact had been, Yixing’s hand still burned with phoenix flame. Yixing leaned down and dipped his hand in the torrent of water, using it to put out flames. Yixing looked up, and saw that the stream of water was coming out of the demon boy’s bare hands.

 

The boy was now trying to redirect the torrent of water to hit the swift and ever-moving Shixun. The black and white dragons attacked the boy, a combined attack as the two dragons twirled around each other, covering each other’s weak spots while bearing down on the boy. But the boy summoned a wall of earth that wedged itself in between the two dragons, separating them. Yifan and Lu Han were forced to veer off course, to retreat and regroup.

 

By this time, the demon boy had used the five elements of fire, water, wood, earth and lightning in battle. Without any doubt, this had to be the Demon King.

 

“Eighth _shidi_!”

 

Yixing looked up at the sound of Junmian’s voice. He saw that his fellow disciples had finished battling the lower-level demons, and were now joining in the fight against the Demon King.

 

“The Eight Trigrams Formation!”

 

At Junmian’s order, Yixing got into position, directly opposite Canlie, the eight of them forming the eight points of the Toiast Trigram, surrounding the Demon King in the centre, who was currently battling the black and white dragons.

 

The Eight Sons of Mount Shu were in position, perfectly poised to execute the most powerful martial arts formation that Mount Shu had, but there was one problem. The Eight Trigrams Formation was in essence, a sword formation. In order to execute it, the Sons of Mount Shu would need their swords. If they were fighting with their swords in hand, they would not be able to stand on their swords to fly. And this was an airborne fight.

 

Yixing looked at Junmian, wondering how they were going to proceed.

 

“Ninth _shidi_ , cover us.”

 

Taking the lead, Junmian jumped off his sword. His sword shrank and flew into his hand. Without his sword to carry him, Junmian fell vertically through the air. But before long, his feet landed on the silver dragon, who had flown directly below him. Opposite him, Kai, the _yin_ to Junmian’s _yang_ in the formation, had done the same, Shixun’s long body was stretched to be able to cover both Kai’s and Junmian’s positions. Using Shixun’s body as a launching pad, both Junmian and Kai leapt upwards, swords at the ready to attack. At once, all the Mount Shu disciples understood Junmian’s intentions. They were to attack in the Eight Trigram Formation, with Shixun below them to act as their physical support every time one of them needed to land downwards. Shixun had once been a Mount Shu disciple, and had trained together with them all in the Eight Trigram Formation. Because of this, he knew exactly how to move beneath them, where to be when one of them had to land downwards for a while.

 

Lu Han was lunging at the Demon King in a synchronised attack with his older brother, one dragon attacking from the right and the other attacking from the left. Junmian leveraged on Lu Han’s attack, covering the white dragon’s weak spot, the soft underside of his throat beneath his jaw. The combined attack of the two dragons and the leader of the Mount Shu disciples forced the Demon King to have to dodge backwards, where his own blind spot was, right into the path of Kai’s forward sword thrust. Kai’s sword was poised to pierce into the Demon’s King’s shoulder blade, but the Demon King’s back turned into steel, forcing Kai’s sword to graze harmlessly over metal. The Demon King shot a stream of fire towards Kai, but Yifan extinguished the flames with a jet of water he sprayed out of his mouth.

 

Their attacks having petered out, Junmian and Kai backed down, but were immediately replaced by Chen and Xiumin, one attacking from the top right, and the other from the bottom left. In this fashion, the Sons of Mount Shu could attack one after another in pairs, allowing the enemy no reprieve, yet allowing the Mount Shu disciples breathers in between their turns to attack, conserving their energy while depleting their enemy’s.

 

The Demon King stalled Xiumin’s attack, holding Xiumin’s sword in between two of his fingers which had solidified into steel. Yixing could see the Demon King summoning his _qi_ to his fingers. He was about to break Xiumin’s sword into two when Chen’s sword swung downwards in an arc, which threatened to sever the Demon King’s wrist. The Demon King was forced to abandon his hold on Xiumin’s sword. The Demon King somersaulted backwards, landing on Yifan’s back. Yifan turned around and was about to snap his jaws around the Demon King, but by this time, the boy had leapt off Yifan’s back. He jumped to the left, seeking to leave the confines of the Eight Trigram.

 

But the Eight Trigram Formation had anticipated this move. It was Yixing’s and Canlie’s turn to attack, and Canlie’s position in the formation was perfectly posied to block off the Demon King’s attempt to escape. The Demon King answered Canlie’s sword with his palm, the two of them interlocked in fierce battle while Yixing’s blow struck at lightning speed from the side. Too engrossed in his fight with Canlie, Yixing’s sword hit home, piercing straight into Demon King’s side, drawing the first blood in the battle.

 

The Demon King did a stationary somersault, his heel kicking Yixing straight in the chest, sending Yixing flying backwards. Yixing felt a few of his ribs breaking at the impact. The Demon King immediately solidified the flesh around the wound into metal, stoppering any blood loss and numbing the pain of the wound.

 

But meanwhile, Boxian and Jingxiu had already attacked. Boxian swung his sword in a horizontal arc, forcing the Demon King to leap upwards to avoid the attack. At this point in time, Jingxiu was perfectly poised where the Demon King would be, ready to strike, a forward sword thrust to the throat. But at the last moment, Jingxiu switched hands. His right hand, which was holding his sword, swung backwards. Instead, his left hand struck forward. He was holding a tiny red pill in his fingers. The tiny red pill landed in the Demon King’s mouth, causing the Demon King to swallow it involuntarily.

 

The effect on the Demon King was immediate. He convulsed, his face twisted in agony, doubling over as he clutched his stomach. The Eight Sons of Mount Shu attacked simultaneously, eight swords in unison forward thrust. But despite his physical discomfort, the Demon King managed to leap upwards. An ear-splitting ring rang out out as the eight swords clashed harmlessly against one another below the Demon King.

 

The Demon King spun vertically upwards, out of reach of the eight swords, but right into the jaws of three dragons that were bearing down on him. The Demon King summoned a rotating column of water. In the column of swirling and raging water, the Demon King momentarily disappeared from view.

 

“Over there!”

  
Following the direction where Canlie was pointing too, Yixing saw that the Demon King had landed on the nearby Isle of the Phoenix. He was on his hands and knees, clutching his stomach in pain as he retched. He vomited out a single pearl.

 

The pearl was large, white, crackling with sparks. The pearl fell through the sky in a large arc, its path through the air visible because of the trail of lightning it left behind in its wake. Immediately, all three dragons dived after it. Without Shixun’s body beneath them to land on, the Mount Shu disciples quickly utilised their swords for flight again. Once he had the _Qing Gang_ Sword safely beneath his feet, Yixing looked up and saw that the Demon King had fled into the distance.

 

Among the three dragons, it was Shixun who managed to catch the pearl. Holding the crackling pearl inside his mouth, Shixun and his brothers flew upwards to where the Mount Shu disciples were. The three dragons transformed to their human forms, flying alongside the Sons of Mount Shu on their swords.

 

Shixun held out the pearl for all of them to see. Large and round, and so white it was almost translucent, the pearl crackled in the palm of Shixun’s hand, bolts of lightning constantly moving within the pearl, sending blinding sparks intermittently into the air surrounding it. The baby phoenix came down from its perch on Shixun’s shoulder, hopping on Shixun’s wrist and tilting its head to the side as it curiously inspected the pearl.

 

“What is this?” asked Boxian in awe.

 

“The Lightning Elemental Pearl,” answered Yifan. “I have heard of it, but have never seen it before.”

 

“This explains so much,” said Lu Han. “The Demon King is able to use lightning in battle, not because he has a high level of cultivation in The Way, but because he has swallowed this pearl.”

 

“And not only this pearl, but the Metal, Water, Earth and Fire Elemental Pearls as well. The Five Elemental Pearls are long-lost artefacts of legend, but the Demon King must have somehow found them.” Yifan turned to Jingxiu. “What was the little red pill you fed to the Demon King?”

 

“Oh,” said Jingxiu shyly as all eyes turned on him. “It’s just a Blood Root pill, a common medicine. It induces vomiting. All Mount Shu disciples carry it in our medicinal pouches. In case we get poisoned, we can swallow a pill and the induced vomiting would clense our bodies.”

 

“But for you to have intentionally fed it to the Demon King means that you have known of the Elemental Pearls that the Demon King has swallowed,” said Yifan.

 

“It was just a guess,” said Jingxiu, looking uncomfortable at all the attention. “I remember reading about Elemental Pearls in our Mount Shu library once, and you mentioned before that the Demon King is only 500 years old. If so, his cultivation in The Way can’t possibly be that advanced for him to master all the five elements, so I was thinking that the only explanation would be the pearls… …”

 

“Sixth _shixiong_ , you’re a genius!” declared Shixun.

 

Jingxiu blushed.

 

“Sixth _shixiong_ , the Lightning Elemental Pearl belongs to you,” said Shixun, holding the pearl towards Jingxiu. “Since you were the one to discover the way to make the Demon King expel it out.”

 

“I can’t possibly take it,” said Jingxiu. He turned to Yifan. “The First Dragon Prince should take it. Your level of martial arts is the highest amongst us. If you were the one to take it, your powers would increase, and this would put us in a better position to defeat the Demon King.”

 

Yifan shook his head.

 

“If it were the Earth, Metal or Fire Elemental Pearl I would take it, but I can already indirectly manipulate lightning. I’m a water dragon, and water dragons can manipulate the weather to induce rain. If I summon enough rain clouds, the storm clouds would produce lightning, which I can manipulate in battle.”

 

“In that case, let Shixun have it,” said Lu Han. “Amongst the three of us, Shixun’s _fashu_ is the weakest, and he takes the longest time to summon enough storm clouds to produce lightning. But if he swallows the pearl, he would be able to produce lightning with his bare hands during battle, like the Demon King did before.”

 

“You’re giving the Lightning Elemental Pearl to Shixun?” asked Shixun brightly, bouncing on his heels on in joy. Sensing his happy mood, the baby phoenix also hopped up and down, twittering melodiously. His older brothers smiled indulgently at Shixun, nodding.

 

“ _Shixong_ ,” said Shixun, addressing all the Sons of Mount Shu. “All of you agree to this?”

 

“Ninth _shidi_ ,” said Junmian, smiling at Shixun. “Go ahead and take it.”

 

“All of you have given the Lightning Elemental Pearl to Shixun. Since it belongs to Shixun now, Shixun gets to decide what to do with it. And Shixun decides to give it to Yixing ge-ge!”

 

“No, Shixun, I can’t have it,” said Yixing in alarm. “It’s yours‒”

 

Yixing’s sentence was cut off when Shixun popped the pearl into Yixing’s open mouth. Before Yixing could react, Shixun clamped his fingers over Yixing’s nose, squeezing it shut and forcing Yixing to use his mouth to breathe. The pearl slid down Yixing’s open throat.

 

The pearl burned within Yixing’s stomach. Yixing’s world spun as his stomach churned. When Yixing’s world righted itself, he found himself leaning against Shixun, held steady in Shixun’s embrace.

 

“Yixing ge-ge, try it out!” said Shixun excitedly. “Try shooting a bolt of lightning from your fingers!”

 

Yixing held out a hand, facing his palm away from all present, aiming at empty air. Nothing happened.

 

“You need to reach deep within yourself,” said Lu Han. “Feel the pearl inside you. It’s part of you now. Draw on its power, command it, like how you command your arms or legs to move.”

 

Yixing closed his eyes and concerntrated. He felt the pearl within himself, a foreign presence residing in his belly. Yixing focused on it, the feeling of having it inside him. Yixing sensed a spark. Then another. And another. Using all of his concerntration, Yixing held on to one of these sparks, drawing it out from the pearl, feeling the spark travel through his body, from his belly, up his chest, through his arm. He could feel it crackling at his fingertips. Yixing released it.

 

Yixing opened his eyes. A jagged bolt of light shot through his fingers, writhing and crackling, a pulsing line of blinding white light shooting off into the distance, smaller bolts of white light branching off the main bolt at intervals.

 

“Yixing ge-ge is the best!”

 

Shixun flung his arms around Yixing, hugging Yixing tightly. Yixing looked at his fellow Mount Shu disciples, worried especially about Jingxiu’s reaction. By all rights, the Lightning Elemental Pearl should belong to Jingxiu, not Yixing, but Yixing saw no trace of displeasure on his face. Yixing saw only Shixun’s joy mirrored on the faces of his fellow disciples, happiness on Yixing’s behalf that Yixing had risen in power.

 

“We now know the source of the Demon King’s powers, and the method of bringing about his downfall. It would take just four more Blood Root pills for all the Elemental Pearls to be expelled from his body. He would then be only a normal 500-year-old demon, easy to deal with,” said Yifan.

 

“Mount Shu plays no small part in this,” said Lu Han, turning towards Jingxiu. “The Jade Emperor would surely offer Mount Shu a reward.”

 

Lu Han now turned towards Yixing and Shixun.

 

“If the Jade Emperor offers Mount Shu a reward, it is possible that Mount Shu can ask for a Peach of ‒”

 

“A Peach of Immortality!” Excitement that Shixun could not contain caused him to cut his brother off mid-sentence. “If Yixing ge-ge eats a Peach of Immortality, Yixing ge-ge becomes immortal just like Shixun! Yixing ge-ge and Shixun can be together forever!”

 

Stunned, Yixing stood stock still even as Shixun flung himself into Yixing’s embrace.

 

Be together with Shixun forever? It was a dream come true.

 

Yixing looked at his fellow disciples. The expressions on their faces spoke of brotherly love and unconditional support. Yixing turned to Lu Han. He was smiling kindly at Yixing. Yixing chanced a glance at Yifan. Even the First Dragon Prince looked supportive.

 

Yixing felt a burden that he hadn’t known had been weighing over his heart lift. Yixing focused on the excited dragon prince in his arms. Gently, he tilted Shixun’s face to him. Shixun’s face was shining with happiness.

 

As their eyes met, the thought that flitted through Yixing’s mind was that if it was possible for anyone to feel what pure happiness felt like, it would feel like this.  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I borrowed the concept of Elemental Pearls from Chinese Paladin 3. The Five Elements (Wood, Water, Fire, Metal and Earth) are used in Chinese Fengshui. In my story, I have replaced earth with lightning.
> 
> Pangu is a giant in Chinese mythology who created the world. At the beginning, the universe was formless chaos that eventually settled down in the form of a huge egg. Pangu stood up from within the egg and pushed it up. The top of the egg which he pushed upwards became the sky, and the bottom of the egg he was standing on became the earth. 
> 
> Erlang Shen is famed to be the most powerful general in the Heavenly Realm. He has a third eye in the middle of his forehead, known as the “Truth-Seeing Eye” because of its ability to see through disguises and always fathom the truth. He fights using the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear, and has a pet dog that fights alongside him, known as Xiao Tian Quan. 
> 
> Nezha is a boy deity, son of celestial general Li Jing, the Pagoda-bearing Heavenly King. He flies around by stepping on the Wind-Fire Wheels, and his weapon is the Fire-tipped Spear. In Fengsheng Yanyi (a popular Chinese mythological novel written in the 16th century), Nezha gets into a dispute with the Third Dragon Prince of the Eastern Sea. They fight, Nezha wins and slays the dragon prince. But in the context of my story, this never happens, and Shixun and Nezha get along just fine :) 
> 
> The Earth Deity is the Chinese deity in charge of the soil and the ground. He is a minor deity with limited powers, but he is known for being kind and generous towards humans.
> 
> The Qilin is a Chinese mythological creature. It has the head of dragon, with horns and a beard, but the body of an ox. It is covered in scales and has hooves.


	12. Chapter 12

Yixing looked at his hand. It looked remarkably ordinary. Yet, he had just shot a lightning bolt from it.

 

Shixun clasped Yixing’s hand in own. The action brought Yixing out of his reverie. He shifted his gaze to Shixun. Shixun was beaming up at him, his eyes curved into cresent moons.

 

“Yixing ge-ge is the best!”

 

A warmth welled up in Yixing as he smiled back at his dragon. Shixun was always so supportive of him.

 

“We should go to the Jade Emperor’s court,” said Yifan. “We have made an important discovery today, one that should be reported to the Jade Emperor immediately.”

 

“The Jade Emperor’s court is not far from here,” said Lu Han. “The three of us will change to our dragon forms, and we’ll take all of you there.”

 

“We’re coming along too?” asked Junmian, surprised. “We’re mortals. Would we be allowed entry?”

 

“It’s true that no mortal has ever set foot in the Heavenly Court before. But there’s a first time for everything, right?”

 

Lu Han’s eyes were twinkling as he smiled at Junmian. Yixing watched Junmian bask in the smile. The Sons of Mount Shu all looked excited at the prospect of going to Heavenly Court, but Shixun was quick to burst their bubble.

 

“It’s very boring there,” Shixun informed them. “Everyone there is super uptight and stuffy. And when you’re there, you can’t move around. You’ve got stand still or sit only where you’re told to, and you can’t speak unless you’re spoken to. Going there is a torture.”

 

On his shoulder, the baby phoenix nodded and twittered, agreeing with whatever Shixun said. Yifan gave Shixun a stern disapproving look, but Lu Han only fondly flicked his younger brother’s forehead. Shixun pouted at his second brother, rubbing his forehead pitifully.

 

The three dragons transformed and the Sons of Mount Shu got onto their backs. The baby phoenix sat in between Shixun’s horns, in front of Yixing. The silver dragon flew gracefully in the sky, his long body swaying from side to side as he followed behind his brothers.

 

They flew over blankets of clouds, and floating islands, each more interesting than the last. Some were covered in fire, some in snow and ice, some in verdant greenery. Some were inhabited by strange creatures, which cowed before the three magnificent dragons that flew past.

 

They came up to a huge gate. Tall and towering, it was roughly ten times the height and width of a normal man, as if it were a door made for giants to pass throught. It was made entirely of white marble, and elaborately carved. The gate stood on a raised platform. Like everything else in the heavenly realm in floated in mid-air, wisps of clouds rolling about it. A single plague hung in the middle of the horizontal beam of the gate. It read “South Heavenly Gate”.

 

Two heavenly soldiers were guarding it. They wore armours of gold, with long flowing white cloaks that fluttered behind them. They held long spears in one hand and long shields in the other.

 

They landed at the gate, the dragons transforming to their human forms. Yifan had his head held high, his proud demeanour lending him an effortless artisocratic bearing. Lu Han looked a getle and refined high-born scholar. Shixun too was the epitome of elegance, with his tall stature, broad shoulders and refined facial features. The heavenly soldiers immediately recognised the three Dragon Princes and bowed to them. They seemed surprised to see the Sons of Mount Shu, but it was clear that because of their lower rank, they were about to question the three Dragon Princes about the presence of mortals in the Heavenly Realm.

 

Yifan led the way. He stepped off the raised platform into empty air, but immediately, a floating stepping stone appeared right beneath his foot, bearing the weight of his body and preventing him from falling. Confidently, without any hint of hesitation, he put one foot in front of the other, leaving a trail of stepping stones hanging in mid-air. On his left and right, his brothers did the same, leaving three separate trails of stepping stones for the Sons of Mount Shu to walk on behind them.

 

As the three oldest disciples of Mount Shu, Xiumin, Junmian and Boxian led the way, and the rest followed behind. It was surreal, walking on a floating rock trail hanging suspended in mid air. Below them, the infinite blue sky stretched out beneath Yixing’s feet, a bright and beautiful blue abyss. Clouds and mist rolled around Yixing as he walked.

 

They walked for a long time, with no change of scenery apart from the blue sky and rolling white clouds, until eventually, Yixing spotted a huge building in the distance. Floating in the sky, it was round, cylindrincal, with curved tiled sloping roofs at every level, supported by massive round pillars.

 

“The Jade Emperor’s Court,” said Lu Han.

 

Yixing had guessed as much. As beautiful as it was, it was also extremely initimidating. He was glad of the presence of the three Dragon Princes and his fellow Mount Shu disciples as they climbed up the steps to the main foyer. The three Dragon Princes sank to their knees and assumed the kow-tow position, and the Sons of Mount Shu quickly followed their example.

 

“The three princes of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea and the Eight Sons of Mount Shu pay homage to the Jade Emperor,” said Yifan. “May the Jade Emperor’s reign last for eternity.”

 

“The Jade Emperor gives you leave to arise.”

 

This command was given by a scholarly-looking diety, who led them into the inner hall. Yixing followed, trying his best not to gawk. The floor below their feet seemed to be made of tiles of white jade. The ceiling was high, made of clear tranaslucent crystal, supported by huge round pillars adorned in carvings.

 

They walked through the long hall. Rows and rows of deities sat either side of them. Some were old and ancient, with wrinkled faces, white hair and long beards. Some were mere children, eyes twinkling and brimming with mischief. One of them smirked at Shixun as he walked past, and Shixun smirked back. Others seemed to be Yixing’s age. Whether male or female, they were all uncommonly beautiful.

 

The Jade Emperor sat on a throne atop a raised dais. He wore robes of white overlaid with gold embroidery. Upon his head, he wore a long horizontal headpiece. A curtain of vertically-strung diamonds hung at the front and end of the headpiece.

 

“Dragon Princes of the Eastern Sea,” said the Jade Emperor. “I am pleased to see you well.”

 

“We owe our escape to Mount Shu,” said Yifan, indicating the Sons of Mount Shu with a sweep of his hand.

 

“So I have heard from the Earth Deity. It is because of this, that we have granted these mortals the priviledge of stepping into the Heavenly Court, where no mortals have ever set foot in before.”

 

“We are deeply honoured, your majesty,” said Junmian.

 

Yixing admired how calm he sounded. If it were Yixing who had speak, he would surely have trembled and stuttered.

 

“Your majesty, we have brought Mount Shu before you today because Mount Shu has made a great discovery. We believe it could bring about the downfall of the Demon King.”

 

A murmuring went through the court. Yifan made a sideways glance towards Jingxiu, a non-verbal cue for Jingxiu to speak up. Jingxiu turned to Junmian. His face betrayed no emotion, but Junmian understood what Jingxiu wanted. And so, it was Junmian who spoke up. Making it clear that it was Jingxiu who had made this discovery, Junmian told the Jade Emperor of the Blood Root pill, and how it could make Demon King eject the Elemental Pearls it must have swallowed. All eyes turned to Yixing when it was revealed he was the current wielder of the Lightning Elemental Pearl.

 

“Show us the might of the Lightning Elemental Pearl.”

 

It was a deity clad in full armour who spoke. He had an intimidating presence, one that was used to authority. A vertical third eye blinked at Yixing from the middle of his forehead, making looking at this deity in the eye very disconcerting. He had to be Erlang Shen, commander of the Jade Emperor’s armies.

 

The Jade Emperor stood up. A servant announced that the Jade Emperor was heading for the Eternal Sun Pavilion. The Jade Emperor stepped down from the dais, and left the throne room, his entourage trailing behind him. Yixing and the other Sons of Mount Shu were ushered by a servant behind them, through a long winding open-air corridor and to an open balcony platform. Yixing stood at the edge of the platform. A single step forward, and he would plummet into vast empty space. Yixing turned back. Behind him, hordes of deities stood in orderly rows, the Jade Emperor in the centre of them.

 

All eyes were on Yixing. Yixing swallowed.

 

“Yixing ge-ge!”

 

Before his brothers could stop him, Shixun had squeezed past the hordes of deities to stand next to Yixing.

 

“Yixing ge-ge can do it!” Shixun sounded absolutely confident. “Yixing ge-ge did it before!”

 

Yixing closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. Forcing himself to calm down, Yixing let his emotions flow with rhythm of his breathing, until he felt nothing, heard nothing, and saw nothing. He forgot where he was, why he was there. He focused only on one thing. The feeling that was burning inside his stomach. It was crackling, burning. It was easily identified, because it felt so foreign in his body. Nevertheless, it was part of him now. He owned it. Its power was his to wield.

 

Yixing reached deep within himself, towards the foreign object. He held onto one of the crackling sparks, and pulled, like how one would hold on to the tip of a thread in a ball of yarn and pull it out. The thread of spark travelled through him, up his stomach, his chest, down his arm, and to the tips of his fingers on his right hand.

 

And then, Yixing released it.

 

When Yixing opened his eyes, he was nearly blinded by the crackling lightning bolt that he was shooting out from his outstretched hand. The lightning bolt zig-zagged across the sky, branches of smaller bolts breaking off intermittently at intervals.

 

“Yixing ge-ge is the best!”

 

Shixun was jumping up and down in joy, the baby phoenix on his shoulder mirroring his excitement. Shixun would have flung himself onto Yixing, right in front of the entire Heavenly Court, if not for Lu Han intercepting him and pulling him back to his side.

 

“Impressive,” said the Jade Emperor.

 

Yixing ducked his head, blushing. Yixing was infinitely grateful to Junmian, who stepped up to help Yixing handle the pleasantries required of high-born conversation. Even after all these years as the Eighth Son of Mount Shu, at times like these, Yixing felt like a simple fisherman all over again.

 

Yixing was glad when the audience with the Jade Emperor was over at last. The three Dragon Princes and the Sons of Mount Shu were shown to accomodations granted to them by the Jade Emperor. They were put up in a two-story house on its own little floating island. The house was made entirely from bamboo, with tiled sloping roofs, paper-lined walls. It was big enough for each of them to have their own room, though Shixun insisted on sleeping in the same room as Yixing, and no one, not even Yifan, bothered trying to stop him anymore. Outside the house was a tranquil Chinese garden, with bonsais, verdant bamboo, meandering pebble paths and a koi pond. The koi here were unlike those on Earth. Their scales glowed, a pale and lovely luminescence that shone in the water. Their fins were long and flowy, almost similar to wings.

 

The Sons of Mount Shu spent their days training, especially in the Eight Trigrams formation. Though they were all familiar with the strokes of the Eight Trigrams, because the nature of the formation required a high level of teamwork, it was something that they had to constantly practice, lest their level of camaraderie be lost. Yixing also spent much time practicising to wield the lightning element. The anticipation of the impending war was not lost on any of them. Even the usually playful Shixun was uncharacteristically serious as he trained under the tutelage of his second brother.

 

Yixing was sitting on the edge of the floating island, letting his feet dangle in mid-air. He watched as his feet swung to-and-fro above the empty abyss below.

 

Suddenly, Yixing could see nothing. A pair of hands had clapped over his eyes.

 

“Guess who?”

 

Yixing smiled. Without replying, he gently pulled the hands from his eyes, and brought them down to his lips. He pressed a gentle kiss on the palms of the hands, causing Shixun to giggle. Shixun moulded himself to Yixing’s back, resting his chin on Yixing’s shoulder, hugging Yixing around the waist.

 

“Yixing ge-ge looks like you are deep in thought. What is Yixing ge-ge thinking about? Shixun wants to know.”

 

“I’m just thinking of the upcoming battle, and whether I would be able to contribute properly to it. I should fight more now, play a bigger part, since I wield the Lightning Elemental Pearl. And I keep thinking of the other Sons of Mount Shu, and your brothers, and you. I hope no harm comes to any of you during the battle. And I keep thinking why we have to fight in the first place. The Demon King is just a young _qilin_ demon right? Five hundred years old, just like you. Why must he do this?”

 

“Oldest Brother says the Demon King must want to rule the Three Realms. It is not enough for him that he is already the ruler of the Demon Realm. He wants to rule the Heavenly Realm and the Human Realm too. Of course, the Jade Emperor will not give up the Heavenly Realm to him so easily. All of us deities will fight to the end!”

 

“If the Heavenly Realm falls, the Human Realm will fall too. All along, it has been the Heavenly Realm that has been watching over the Human Realm. If the Heavenly Army loses this war, there will be nothing stopping the demons from ravaging the Human Realm. Majority of humans can’t fight demons. The common folk don’t know martial arts, the using of _qi,_ or _fashu_. Like the villagers from my village next to the Eastern Sea. How will they defend themselves against the demons? The suffering in the Human Realm is going to be endless… …”

 

“That won’t happen! Shixun won’t allow it. No matter what, Shixun will defend Yixing ge-ge’s village, and Yixing ge-ge’s family – your mother and your brothers. So Yixing ge-ge doesn’t have to worry about that, all right?” Shixun sounded anxious, upset because Yixing was worried. “And anyway, Sixth _shixiong_ has already devised a way to bring about the Demon King’s downfall! We’ll make the Demon King spit out all the remaining Elemental Pearls. Then the war will be over. We’ll save my father, and the Human and Heavenly Realms will both be safe!”

 

Yixing glanced at Shixun. His dragon’s face was tense, upset. Yixing’s penseive mood had affected him. Yixing leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss on Shixun’s lips. Yixing watched as warmth spread over Shixun’s face, relaxing it. Yixing smiled at the sight.

 

A long horn sounded, jolting both Yixing and Shixun. They both got to their feet and sprinted back to the main hall. The others had gathered there too.

 

“It’s the call for battle,” said Lu Han. “Erlang Shen is gathering the army. It is time. Come, let us go.”

 

The three Dragon Princes shifted to their dragon forms, and the Sons of Mount Shu got onto their backs. The baby phoenix wanted to come along, but Shixun told it sternly to stay on the island and wait for them. The baby phoenix let a single doleful note, but it obediently stayed where it was. Yixing petted Shixun on the head, rubbing at the smooth scales in between his horns. Yixing knew that it must have hurt Shixun to make the the baby phoenix stay behind.

 

The normally tranquil Heavenly Realm was turned upside down. Everywhere, it was a flurry of activity as immortals rushed to and fro in different directions. The dragons flew above the chaos, heading towards the sound of the horn.

A vast army had already gathered. Rows and rows of soldiers stood as far as the eye could see, clad in full armour, shiny breastplates reflecting sunlight, long white cloaks fluttering behind them. Their metal helmets were elaborately carved, with a single white tail - similar to the tail of a horse - cascading down from the crown. The tips of their spears glinted in the sun. They stood on clouds, as if the fluffy white puffs were solid enough to hold their weight

 

Erlang Shen stood at the front, facing the army.

 

“The demon army is on the move,” said Erlang Shen. “They march on the South Heavenly Gate. Are we going to allow them to breach the gate?”

 

The answer “No!” was resounding as the heavenly soldiers banged their spears agains their shields.

 

The Jade Emperor now stood to address his army.

 

“The Heavenly Realm depends on you. And not only the Heavenly Realm, but the Human Realm too. I have faith in each and every one of you, that you will fight bravely, because you know what you are fighting for is right.”

 

“To war!” Erlang Shen cried out, raising his spear, a cry that was echoed by his men.

 

The army marched out, Erlang Shen at the lead. The dragons flew above the army, the Mount Shu disciples on their backs. They crossed out of the South Heavenly Gate. They were at the borders of the Heavenly Realm, where it met the Demon Realm. Below the gate, was a sheer mountain cliff. Columns upon columns of soldiers marched out out from the gate, descending on the mountain cliff, amassing on the flat surface in orderly columns.

 

After landing on the top of the mountain cliff, the Sons of Mount Shu slid off the backs of the dragons. The three dragon princes shifted to their human forms. Together, the eleven of them stood by the edge of the cliff. Beneath their feet was a sheer drop, a vertical wall of rock until the flat ground far below, which was covered by rows and rows of demon troops. They were clad in armour of black steel, with shirts of red cloth underneath. Their black cloaks fluttered behind them. Underneath the hoods of their cloaks, the demons all wore white masks painted in streaks of red and blue. In the centre column, in his own personal chariot, surrounded by armoured guards, was the Demon King.

 

Yixing swallowed as he surveyed the sprawling Demon Army before him. The Demon Army outnumbered the Heavenly Army five to one.

 

“Demon King!” It was Erlang Shen who spoke. “How dare you, a young demon, who has barely eaten enough salt to be called an adult, dare march on the Heavenly Realm? The Heavenly, Human and Demon Realms have been at peace for a thousand years. The Heavenly Realm has been magnanimous towards the wrong-doings of the Demonic Realm, yet you dare to repay kindness with evil? Throw down your arms and stand down now, and I will plead with the Jade Emperor to spare your life.”

 

The boy king laughed.

 

“Empty words. You know you cannot defeat me, so you try to win victory by using your mouth? Pathetic.”

 

The Demon King made a forward gesture to his army.

 

“Attack!”

 

With a roar, the demon army charged forward.

 

“Fire!”

 

In unison, the front ranks of the Heavenly Army pulled their bows and notched their arrows. A heartbeat later, a sea of white-feathered arrows soared through the air, cutting through the air in long arcs that curved upwards at first, before gravity brought them down. Many demons in the forefront of the charge buckled and fell, brought down by the arrows. Their comrades merely stampeded upon their fallen bodies. In perfect co-ordination, the front ranks of the Heavenly Army moved one row back, while the second row moved in to the front. A second volley of arrows were sent flying. While many demons fell, they were insignificant compared to the sheer number of demons that continued to surge forward.

 

Long metal ladders pushed by hordes of demons came up, swinging upwards from a horizontal positon to a vertical position in along arc. Even from his high vantage, Yixing could hear the groans of the demons as the pushed the heavy metal ladders upwards. The ladders fell against the side of cliff in heavy thunderous clanks. The Heavenly Soldiers on the front ranks were quick to try to dislodge the ladders, but they were heavy, grooved in spikes, and held in place at the bottom by scores of demons. Some were successful in disloding the ladders, and the demons that were climbing up halfway screamed as the ladders came crashing to the ground, crushing the demons on ground level that were unluckly enough to be standing where the ladders came crashing down, the packed demon horde giving them no room to run away. But there were some ladders that stuck firmly on the rock, and hordes of demons were fighting to swarm up the ladders.

 

Yixing summoned the lightning from within him. He sent a crackling bolt of lightning towards the nearest metal ladder. White sizzling sparks travelled down the ladder, electrocuting the entire host of demons that had been clamouring halfway up the ladder. Their screams of agony echoed in Yixing’s ears and their lifeless bodies, fell off the ladder and hit the ground below. A cheer went up through the Heavenly Army as Yixing sent off more successive bolts that hit the other metal ladders as well.

 

The Heavenly Army had been relentlessly firing volley after volley of arrows. As a result, dead bodies of demons littered the base of the cliff. To Yixing’s horror, the demons merely climbed up on top of their comrades’ dead bodies, using them as grosteque stepping stones. If this kept up, even without the use of the metal ladders, the demon army would eventually reach the top of the cliff. The Demon Army had the numbers to make this possible.

 

The Demon King took to the air. Erlang Shen met him head on. The clash of steel rang out, loud and clear, despite the chaos of the raging battle. The Demon King and Erlang Shen were locked in fierce battle. Erlang Shen was deadly with his spear. His spear shot in and out like a snake. But the Demon King had four Elemental Pearls. Erlang Shen’s spear could not hurt it, because the Demon King transformed his body into metal whenever Erlang Shen scored a decisive hit, and Erlang Shen was forced on the defensive by the constant water, fire and wood attacks.

 

A cry rent the air. The Demon King, his hands hardened into the metal claws, had plunged into Erlang Shen’s chest, wrenching out his beating heart. Erlang Shen’s body fell to the ground, and the demons were all over it in an instant. A cry of dismay came up from the soldiers of the Heavenly Army.

 

The three Dragon Princes transformed, and the three long bodies of the a black, white and silver dragon soared above the Heavenly Army before swinging upwards towards the Demon King, tails trailing as they swung their bodies from side to side in fluid waves. The Sons of Mount Shu followed the dragons on their swords, with the exception of Yixing, who rode on Shixun’s back.

 

Yifan and Lu Han reached the Demon King first. They launched into a synchronised attack, the long bodies of the dragons swooping down on the small frame of the boy Demon King. The Demon King jumped upwards, neatly avoiding their attack while answering Junmian’s sword stroke. He somersaulted backwards, sending a torrent of fire Kai’s way, forcing Kai to abandon his attack and back down. Having missed his target, Junmian fell vertically downwards, and landed on Shixun. Using Shixun’s long body as a launching pad, the Sons of Mount Shu fell into the Eight Trigrams formation.

 

It was Yixing’s turn to attack. His sword scraped harmlessly against the Demon King’s metal body. But what the Demon King hadn’t expected was the trail of electricity that Yixing sent down his sword. The Demon King whole body was momentarily held in thrall by the electric current as he convulsed involuntarily, and Canlie used the opportunity to slip a Blood Root pill into the Demon King’s open mouth.

 

The Demon King doubled up. The Demon King struggled against it, but it was powerlessly to stop the single pearl from being expelled from his mouth. The Demon King tried to dive after it, but Xiumin’s sword intercepted him. The pearl plummeted through the air at high speed, but the white dragon chasing after it was faster. Carrying the pearl in his mouth, Lu Han flew upwards towards Junmian and dropped the pearl into his open palm. Junmian immediately popped the pearl in his mouth and swallowed it.

 

Yixing watched the look of stunned shock that washed over Junmian. Yixing knew what he was going through, how shocking it was to have a foreign object like the elemental pearl trying to integrate into your body. Yixing held Junmian to steady him until he looked like he could stand on his own.

 

With Yixing and Junmian out of the battle, the Sons of Mount Shu had ceased using the Eight Trigrams formation. Each of them was using their own individual attacks. Nevertheless, years of training together meant their moves were in sync, with the dragons weaving in and out between them. They were surrounding the Demon King, attacking from all sides.

 

The Demon King was down to three Elemental Pearls now – fire, wood and metal. Though the Sons of Mount Shu only had two, in the Fengshui circle, water could beat fire, and lightning could beat metal. The tables had turned. The Sons of Mount Shu now had the upperhand.

 

The Demon King was protecting himself with circles of blazing fire, making it difficult for his attackers to approach him. Junmian stretched out a hand, open palm facing the fire. Nothing happened.

 

“You have to sense the pearl within your body,” said Yixing. “Feel it, as if you were touching it with your hands. Sense it pulsing with energy. Then hold on to one of these strands of energy, pull it out from the pearl, then release it through your finger tips.”

 

Junmian stretched out his hands again. Streams of water flowed from them, dousing the fire that surrounded the Demon King. Scowling, the Demon King sent out thick wooden vines that writhed and snaked out like the arms of a giant octopus, forcing his attackers to scatter. However, the wooden vines were ineffective at stopping Junmian’s water attack. The water cascaded over the vines, crashing over Demon King. Yixing sent out bolts of electricity into the water. Bright sparks of electricity shot through, dancing and crackling on the water surface. The Demon King’s body stiffened and convulsed involuntarily as the violent electric current coursed through him.

 

Shixun changed to his human form. He leapt into the writhing mess of tree vines, water and electricity.

 

“Shixun, it’s too dangerous. Come back!”

 

The cry came from Lu Han. Shixun ignored him. Lithe and light on his feet, he leapted from one vine to another, deftly avoiding the deadly streams of electrically-charged water. Shixun had always been the most light-footed of them all.

 

Shixun reached the Demon King. As he leapt past the demon in an elegant flurry of robes, another Blood Root Pill was deposited into the Demon King’s mouth.

 

The Demon King screamed, fighting his own body even as yet another pearl was expelled from his throat. The faling pearl was highly visible to all, because of the pertual flame that engulfed it. Canlie happened to be standing right in the trajectory path of the falling pearl, and he caught it in the palm of his hand.

 

Canlie held the pearl in his open palm, gawking at it, ignoring the calls from his fellow Sons of Mount Shu to quickly injest the pearl, until Shixun came up to him, flying on the _Yi Tian_ sword.

 

“Take it, Fifth _shixiong_!” said Shixun. “Fifth _shixiong_ will look so cool when you are wielding fire!”

 

That seemed to end Canlie’s hesitation. He popped the pearl in his mouth, with Shixun supporting him during the duration it took for Canlie to adjust having the Elemental Pearl in his body.

 

At this time, the Demon King could only rely on the Wood and Metal Elemental Pearls, but any tree vines or wooden beams he tried to use to defend himself was burnt down by Canlie. Now that the Fire Elemental Pearl was in Canlie’s possession, the Wood Elemental Pearl was as good as useless.

 

Yixing felt a rush of pity for the Demon King. Who was he, but a young boy demon who had stumbled upon the Elemental Pearls, and had allowed the possession of power to get over his head?

 

The Sons of Mount Shu and the Dragon Princes ceased their combined attack. It didn’t seem right now, when the Demon King’s power was so reduced. Yixing, as the wielder of the Lightning Elemental Pearl, stepped up to fight the Demon King one on one.

 

Yixing and the Demon King both lunged forwards at the same time. Yixing met the Demon King’s forward kick with both fists crossed at the wrists, blocking the blow. Without missing a beat, the Demon King brought his leg down, and at the same time, swung his closed fist towards Yixing’s face, but Yixing blocked the blow again, his palm avoiding the fist and thus the full brunt of the blow, but instead striking the Demon King on his forearm, slightly below the wrist, which was where his weak point was. Yixing did a stationary somersault, his kick meant to have struck the Demon King vertically downwards on the Demon King’s head, but the Demon King dodged, and his kick hit Yixing square on his right shoulder, sending Yixing flying backwards into the air.

 

Yixing somersaulted in mid-air, changing his body orientation, so that when he landed on back of the silver dragon whom he knew would be there, he was in a vertical standing position. With a flex of his mind, he summoned the _Qing Gang_ sword back to him. Standing on Shixun’s back, the Third Son of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea and the Eighth Son of Mount Shu flew upwards to face the Demon King together.

 

Yixing fell into the first stance of the _Tai Yi Xuan Men Jian Fa_ , the Mount Shu sword style he was most adept in. Yixing ran down the length of Shixun long silvery body. He kicked off, and in a flying leap, attacked with a direct sword thrust. The Demon King caught the blade in two of his iron fingers, seeking to snap the blade in half, but the _Qing Gang_ Sword was no ordinary blade, and was not so easily broken. The Demon King other hand reached out towards Yixing’s face. Yixing dodged backwards, so that the sharp claws closed around empty air barely inches from his face.

 

With his sword still clasped firmly in the Demon King’s clutches, Yixing spun, rotating horizontally in mid-air in a flurry of white robes, making his sword spin with him. The sound of steel scraping against metal was painful to hear. Yixing sent bolts of electricity down his sword as he spun, causing the Demon King to scream and let go of his sword. Yixing landed downwards on Shixun’s back before using it as a springboard to leap upwards again.

 

As Yixing approached, the Demon King shot a series of metal needles at Yixing, which Yixing deflected with his sword. The Demon King stretched a claw out towards Yixing. Yixing slanted his body to the right, dropping his sword. Startled, the Demon King’s eyes were drawn to the falling sword. Taking advantage of this, Yixing swung under the Demon King’s arm, coming up right in front of the Demon King. Yixing kicked the falling Qing Gang sword with his foot, and the sword spun upwards in the air, its hilt landly neatly into the palm of his hand.

 

The base of the Demon King’s throat was wide open for attack. The blade of Yixing’s sword slid in. Adrenaline coursed through Yixing as he watched the stunned expression on the Demon King’s face. The _Qing Gang_ Sword had gone right through, and the hilt of the sword was protruding out of the base of the Demon King’s throat. The Demon King’s eyes went vacant. His entire body went limp.

 

It was only then, when the Demon King’s body was falling away from Yixing, did Yixing feel it.

 

Heart-wrenching pain, as the metal claws of the Demon King was ripped out of his own chest, from where they had been embedded in his flesh.

 

Yixing let go of the _Qing Gan_ g Sword, letting it plummet to the ground along with the Demon King’s body.

 

Both hands clutching his wound, Yixing fell.

 

Shixun, in human form, caught him.

 

Held in Shixun’s arms, Yixing vaguely registered Shixun calling his name, Shixun holding him.

 

Yixing lifted up one hand. Brought it up, into his line of vision. It was covered in blood.

 

He was going to die, Yixing realised.

 

The Lightning Elemental Pearl!

 

The Lightning Elemental Pearl shouldn’t die with him.

 

He should pass it on to someone else before he died.

 

Shixun was lowering him down on the ground.

 

Shixun was still holding Yixing in his arms, Yixing’s head supported on his shoulder.

 

With a burst of determination, Yixing used all the remaining strength to bring up the Lightning Elemental Pearl from within his body.

 

Even now, the Pearl was beautiful, covered in white jagged sparks, crackling with energy.

 

Yixing dropped it in the palm of the nearest hand he could reach.

 

Yixing lifted his eyes.

  
Chen. It was Chen, who was holding on to the pearl.

 

“Take it,” said Yixing.

 

His voice was barely a whisper. Talking hurt.

 

“Eighth _shidi_ … …” Chen’s voice cracked, choked with tears.

 

It hurt. Everywhere.

 

“Yixing ge-ge!”

 

Through the pain, Yixing’s consciousness desperately held onto Shixun.

 

“Shi… Xun…”

 

Just two syllables, but it took so much of Yixing’s energy to say them.

 

“I’m… … dying.”

 

Yixing hadn’t wanted to say this. He didn’t want to admit this. But it was important to let Shixun know.

 

“No! Don’t say that! Yixing ge-ge is not dying! Yixing ge-ge said you won’t die so easily. Yixing ge-ge said that even when you are on the brink of death, you would come back, because you know you need to come back to Shixun!”

 

Blackness clouded Yixing’s vision. He was drifting in and out of blackness, but he held on to the sound of Shixun’s voice, using it as an anchor to stop his mind from letting go. It hurt. Everywhere. Blood was draining from him, and with it, his strength. His heart was struggling to continue beating. Every breath hurt.

 

Clearly, Yixing saw his childhood home, the little wooden hut on the hill.

 

He was snug under his blankets… … His parents were at the table, not far away, talking. It felt safe, to fall asleep to the sound of his parents’ voices… …

 

“They’re twins!” said the mid-wife. “There are two of them.”

 

His mother was lying on the bed. She was sweaty, and her hair was messy, but she looked so happy… ….

 

Yixing looked at the wrapped bundles on the bed. Wrinkly, Yixing decided, as he poked the cheek of one of them. And pink. And small. And squishy. And so, so noisy… …

 

Yixing watched in awe as his father reeled in the net full of wriggling, squirming fish… … His father was amazing… …

 

“Ge-ge! Ge-ge!” Yixing wished Yihan and Yiyun will stop following him around all the time, squabbling and fighting for his attention… …

 

Yixing put the fish on the flat wooden surface of his stall, sorting them according to species… … snapper, sea bass, pomfret, red grouper… …

 

Yixing was telling his mother that he wanted to go to Mount Shu. His mother put a bowl of steaming hot porridge in front of him… …

 

“Eat,” she said. And so he did… ….

 

Yixing stared as he took in the long silvery body, the ridge of fins that stood up and ran the creature’s long spine, the sliver scales that covered every inch of its body… …

 

A dragon… …

 

He had caught a dragon in his rope net… …

 

Yixing tried to hold on to the dragon, as if that could prevent it from disappearing… …

 

His dragon had turned into a boy… …

 

An exceedingly pretty boy… …

 

“Shixun.” Speaking was hard. It hurt. But Yixing had to say this. It was important to say this. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

 

“No! Yixing ge-ge can’t leave me. Yixing ge-ge won’t do something so cruel to Shixun. Yixing ge-ge said you would always be nice to Shixun! Yixing ge-ge swore it!”

 

Shixun was crying. Yixing didn’t want Shixun to cry.

 

“Shixun, when I die, I don’t want you to die too.”

 

“Yixing ge-ge is not going to die!”

 

“I can’t imagine a world without Shixun in it… …”

 

“Yixing ge-ge… …”

 

“Even after I die, I want Shixun to continue living… … to continue to live life, and find love again, and be happy… …”

 

Shixun did not reply. He held Yixing close, sobbing into Yixing.

 

“Shixun, promise me, please… … this one last thing before I die, promise me… …”

 

“I promise.”

 

A sense of peace settled down upon Yixing.

 

Yixing was tired. So tired.

 

Yixing took one last breath, then closed his eyes.

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

 

Lay is woken up by singing. Loud, obnoxious, off-key singing.

 

“Baekhyun! What the fuck?”

 

Though Lay says nothing, he internally agreeds with Jongdae. Like, what the fuck?

 

“I have no shirts to wear!” comes Baekhyun’s whine of justification as the said offender pauses in his out-of-tune early morning singing. “All my clean clothes are packed in my luggage. Lay hyung, you’ll lend me your shirt, right?”

 

Lay blearily sits up in bed. Baekhyun has opened his cupboard, and is rummaging through it. Baekhyun selects a black long-sleeved v-neck t-shirt, and pulls it over his head. Since it is in Lay’s size, it is slightly too big for him, but this does not matter to Baekhyun. Baekhyun is known throughout the dorms as a notorious clothes stealer.

 

“Anyway, it’s high time for you two lazy heads to wake up!” announces Baekhyun, standing with his hands on his hips. “You said you’ll see us off at the airport. You better get up now, unless you want to make us miss the flight. The rest are already up. Chanyeol’s making breakfast.”

 

Baekhyun exits the room, singing ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ loudly. Normally Baekhyun is a good singer, but this early in the morning, when his voice hadn’t warmed up yet, he sounds like he’s slaughtering chickens.

 

Lay gets up. He walks over to Jongdae’s bed. Gently, he shakes Jongdae by the shoulder.

 

“Beakhyun is right, you know,” said Lay gently. “It’s time to get up.”

 

Jongdae mumbles in his sleep and turns over, hugging his teddy bear to him as he burrows deeper into his comforter.

 

Lay smiles. He decides to let his roommate be for the time being. Lay walks to his cupboard, which doors have been left wide open by Baekhyun. Lay randomly selects a t-shirt, pulling it on above his pajamas bottoms as grabs his mug and toothbrush and walks to the common bathroom to brush his teeth. Kyungsoo and Jongin are already there. The three of them brush their teeth and wash their faces together in companionable silence, before they head to the dorm’s common kitchen.

 

“Hey, you guys are awake!”

 

Only Chanyeol could sound so cheery in the morning. Lay sees that he has already fried yesterday’s leftover rice with kimchi, and is in the process of frying sunny-side-ups. Baekhyun and Minseok are seated at the long table, sipping coffee. Kyungsoo, Jongin and Lay join them at the table. Kyungsoo starts scooping the fried rice into bowls for them all. As the maknae, Jongin should probably be the one doing this, but Jongin is lazy. Kyungsoo dotes on him, so he does this for Jongin.

 

“Eggs are ready!”

 

Chanyeol brings the entire pan to the table. Using his spatula, Chanyeol slides a fried egg into each of their bowls, on top of the rice.

 

“Where’s Jongdae?” asks Chanyeol as he inhales his food.

 

“Still sleeping,” replies Lay. “I’ll wake him up in a minute.”

 

“And Junmyeon hyung?”

 

Baekhyun snickers. “Frantically searching for his passport when I walked past his room just now.”

 

Not that anyone would have guessed from his neat and well-groomed appearance, Junmyeon’s room is a perpetual mess. Trying to walk through his room is harder than navigating the streets of Seoul during the peak hour. Junmyeon was always put into the position of having to dig through his piles and piles of belongings for things he needed, and he was also forever accusing the rest of them of taking his stuff when he realised he couldn’t find whatever he was looking for.

 

“Ah, here you are, hyung!” says Chanyeol as Junmyeon walks in. He passes Junmyeon his bowl of kimchi fried rice with egg.

 

Junmyeon looks immaculate, with his dyed red hair parted neatly to the side and his smooth skin practically glowing. He looks well put-together, flawlessly handsome, completely unlike someone who has just emerged from a frantic search through a sea of belongings. Well, no one ever promised that life would be fair.

 

“Found your passport, hyung?” asks Jongin, his long-fringe framing his eyes as he peered up at Junmyeon. Jongin has expressive eyes. He always looks extremely concerned about the person whom he is looking at.

 

“Yup, found it. It was in my hand-carry bag all along. I forgot I had already put it in last night.”

 

Both Chanyeol and Baekhyun immediately start teasing Junmyeon mercilessly. After finishing breakfast, Lay carries Jongdae’s breakfast to their room. Putting the bowl on Jongdae’s study table, he goes to wake Jongdae.

 

Jongdae looks ruffled and sleepy-eyed, but the smell of food is enough to convince Jongdae to wake up. He scampers off to the bathroom to wash up, then comes back to scarf down his breakfast as the rest help to lug the bags of luggage down the dorm staircase.

 

“Dammit, Junmyeon hyung! You’re going away for six weeks, not six years. Do you really need five bags of luggage?”

 

“It pays to be prepared! You never know when you will need something!”

 

“You’re going to New York, not the Amazon jungle. If you need something, just go out to the store and buy it!”

 

“You know you only have 30 kg of baggage allowance right? You’ve definitely gone over the limit. Be prepared to pay the fine, hyung.”

 

“You guys have packed so little. Just let me use some of yours!”

 

“Nah. No way.”

 

“Hey!”

 

Junmyeon, Baekyun, Chanyeol and Jongin are going to New York University for a summer exchange programme. Like Lay, the four of them are Business Management undergrads, and when their university opened up the summer intership programme, all of them had signed up for it. Lay would have wanted to go to, but he isn’t able to afford it. Lay’s hometown is in Changsha, China, and his family sending him abroad to Seoul to study is already stretching his family’s finances very thin. On the other hand, Kyungsoo is a Computer Science undergrad, while Jongdae is a Music major. Thus, this Business Management intership isn’t open to them, so like Lay, they aren’t going either. Lay is internally thankful for this. It makes him feel less left out.

 

Jongdae has always been a fast eater, so he joins them in time to help carry the last few pieces of luggage down the stairs. Though it is the onset of summer, it is 6 a.m. in the morning, so the weather is still chilly. Lay has the hood of his windbreaker up, trying to protect his sensitive ears from the cold wind. Between them, they lug all the luggage, using a combination of pushing, pulling and hefting, down the steps leading to the subway. Luckily, due to the earliness of the hour, there aren’t many people at the station, so they don’t really get into anyone’s way. Their university is on the green line, so they change trains at Sadang station to the light blue line, a process that involves more flights of stairs and navigating underground connecting tunnels. They get off at Seoul Station next, making for the AREX station, where they take an express train to Incheon International Airport. The train is smooth and quiet, or at least it was, until the group of eight boys board the train in a flurry of squabbling elbows and knees and luggages.

 

Lay sinks into his seat gratefully, tired out from all the heavy lifting. He promptly nods off to sleep on Minseok’s shoulder. Lay is famous for being able to sleep anywhere. Though he is a Business Management student, his major had been his parents’ choice, not his. Lay’s true interest lies in music and dance. For as long as his body does not need to sleep, Lay would spend the night composing music. Thus, empty pockets of times like this are too precious not to spend sleeping.

 

Minseok shakes Lay awake. Lay blinks blurrily. Have they reached already? It seems to Lay that he had only just closed his eyes. They exit the train in another squabbling mess, navigating the underground walkways and escalators until they find the aisle for Korean Airways. There is another commotion when Chanyeol’s luggage fails to pass through security. It turns out Chanyeol had packed his electric razor with lithium batteries inside his check-in luggage. Chanyeol apologises profusely as he kneels down to unlock and unzip his luggage in front of the airport staff, rummage around for his razor, remove the offending batteries, before hastily stuffing his razor back, and then locking and zipping his luggage all over again, all the while with Kyungsoo standing at his side chastising Chanyeol for his absent-mindednesss.

 

“I reminded you last night to remove the batteries already!” says Kyungsoo as he stows the batteries in a small side compartment in Chanyeol’s hand-carry backpack.

 

“Ah… did you?”

 

“You were too busy gaming on your Nintendo 3DS to listen to me properly when I was talking to you. And you are the one taking the flight, not me!”

 

Eventually, they are all standing at the departure gates at last. Making their way here seems like a minor accomplishment in itself. It’s another flurry of hugs and goodbyes.

 

“Take care of _hal-meoni_ and _hal-abeoji_ for me, alright?” says Baekhyun as he hugs Lay goodbye. “Tell them I’m sorry I can’t spend summer with them this year, and that I’ll be missing them all the time I’m in America!”

 

Baekhyun’s grandfather and grandmother own a small guesthouse on Jeju Island. Every year, Baekhyun would spend the summer with them, helping them at the guesthouse during the peak season. Last year, when it was Lay’s first year in college, and he had told Baekhyun that he needed to find a summer job, Baekhyun had brought Lay to Jeju-do with him. Lay had helped out with Baekhyun around the guesthouse. It was a good deal for Lay, because that meant he not only had not needed to pay his university hostel room fees over the summer holidays, he could also earn some money, easing his parents’ financial burden a little. This summer holidays, Baekhyun and Lay were originally supposed to go together to Jeju-do again, but because of this summer intership, Lay would be going by himself without Baekhyun.

 

Junmyeon, Jongin, Chanyeol and Baekhyun pass through the departure gates. Kyungsoo, Jongdae and Lay watch them go, waving to them when they turn around one last time before disappearing out of sight.

 

With only three of them left, it suddenly seems very quiet. Breakfast couldn’t have been more than two hours ago, but the three boys are ravenous again, so they go to the 7-eleven at the airport. They buy cup ramen and sticks of fish cakes and sausages. Lay likes the 7-elevens in Seoul. He likes walking into a brightly lit convenience store, seeing shelves and shelves of plastic packages covered in Hangeul lettering and colourful cutesy packaging, choosing and cooking your food in the microwave oven, then sitting there to eat with friends.

 

When they get back to the dorms, Lay spends the rest of his day packing his stuff. He packs some clothes, his toiletries and his handphone charger into a big backpack to bring with him to Jeju-do. The rest of his stuff, he packs into boxes, which he stows under Jongdae’s bed. Kyungsoo has gone out to watch a movie on his own, so it’s only Jongdae who accompanies him to the dorm’s admin office to do the paperwork for withdrawing his room. Since Lay will be spending six weeks in Jeju-do, it doesn’t make sense for him to be paying for his university dorm room during this time when he won’t be staying there. The rest of them will be leaving the dorm rooms too during the summer holidays too, but they don’t withdraw their rooms because they don’t want to go through the hassle of withdrawing and reapplying. But to Lay, any money he can save is significant. Before leaving for New York, Baekhyun had already shamelessly used his _aegyo_ on the _ahjuma_ working at the office, and as a result, the office lady had already given the verbal agreement that once Lay comes back from Jeju-do, he would be reassigned to stay in the same room with Jongdae.

 

Lay fills in the forms for room withdrawal and pays up his outstanding fees. According to what he has paid, he gets one more night to sleep in his room, but by tomorrow, Lay is supposed to completely shift out. Jongdae smiles winningly at the _ahjuma_. Blasting his own Jongdae-brand style of _ageyo_ , Jongdae reminds her of her promise to keep the room for Lay. Flattered, the _ahjuma_ smiles and giggles, and tells them not to worry.

 

Kyungsoo comes back from his movie, and he makes _bibimbap_ for dinner. The three of them sit at the pantry together to eat. The conversation between them is comfortable and easy. Since Kyungsoo had been the one to cook, Lay and Jongdae help to wash up after the meal.

 

The next morning, Lay wakes up at the crack of dawn. He has an early morning bus to catch. He shakes Jongdae awake, who wakes up only after much coaxing. After washing up, he pulls his sheets of his bed, and packs them with his pillow and blanket inside Jongdae’s cupboard. With that, his side of the room is absolutely empty. Only Jongdae’s half of the room looks occupied. Later, when the hostel staff comes to inspect the room, there will be nothing they can fault Lay for. With that, Lay hefts his backpack onto his shoulders, slings on his guitar which is kept snugly in his guitar case. It’s bulky to carry around, but leaving his guitar behind is definitely out of the question.

 

Kyungsoo, Jongdae and Lay take the subway to Seoul Express Bus Terminal. Ordinarily, the underground passage leading from the subway to the bus terminal would be lined with clothing shops and packed shoulder to shoulder with people, but it’s early in the morning, so the shops are not opened yet. The open space makes the underground tunnel feel empty, desolate almost, but when they reach the bus terminal, the place already has a sizeable crowd despite the early hour. The three of them buy triangle _gimbap_ from a small newspaper and magazine stand for breakfast, munching as they walk.

 

Kyungsoo, Jongdae and Lay join the queue at the counter. When it’s their turn, Lay buys a bus ticket to Wando, while Jongdae and Kyungsoo buy tickets to their hometown, Gyeonggi-do. It just so happens that both Kyungsoo and Jongdae come from the same hometown. They’ve bought tickets just in time for Jongdae’s and Kyungsoo’s bus. It is departing almost immediately, so Lay walks them to their bus bay.

 

“Take care in Jeju-do, Lay hyung,” says Jongdae as they hug each other goodbye. “You’ll be by yourself, without us to look out for you, so be careful, alright?”

 

Lay smiles at his _dongsaeng_ ’s protectiveness over him.

 

“I’ll be fine,” Lay reassures him. “Baekhyun’s grandparents will take care of me.”

 

“Jongdae and I may go to Jeju-do to look for you towards the end of the summer holidays,” says Kyungsoo. “We’ll spend a few days there together, then we can return to Seoul together for the start of the new school term.”

 

“That’ll be really nice,” smiles Lay. “I’ll look forward to that.”

 

Jongdae and Kyungsoo get on the bus. Lay stands at the bus bay, waving goodbye at his two friends until the bus pulls away out of sight. Lay then makes his way to his own bus bay. There’s a half an hour wait before the bus departs. Lay is itching to strum on his guitar, but he’s conscious of disturbing the people around him, so he plays on his handphone instead, checking his friends’ SNS. Baekhyun and Chanyeol have already posted pictures about landing in New York. Lay leaves comments on their feed, asking what America is like, reminding them to take care of themselves and stay safe.

 

The bus pulls in the bay at last. Lay lines up to get on board, letting the rush of impatient passengers board before him. By the time he gets on, there aren’t many seats left. Lay selects a corner seat right at the back. The bus pulls out of the station, and the wifi connection goes out of range. Lay’s mobile plan is a cheap one with hardly any data, so Lay turns off his handphone to conserve the battery. With nothing else to do, he stares out of the bus window, watching the city of Seoul pass him by. He likes Seoul. The buildings are tall and cramped, but it’s always bustling. It’s sophisticated, full of opportunities, even for a poor student from China like himself. Lay feels like if he works hard enough, he’ll be able to make something for himself.

 

After a while, the constant rocking of the bus lulls Lay to sleep. The next thing he knows, he’s being shaken awake by a well-meaning _ahjussi_ who tells him that the bus has reached the rest stop. It’s lunch time, so the bus will be stopping here for an hour. Lay makes his way to the food court. After some deliberation, Lay orders a bowl of ox’s head soup with rice. He pays and then waits patiently for the number on his slip to appear on the screen. When it finally does and Lay goes to collect his food, he is immediately glad he made this choice. The soup is steaming, the broth white and flavourful. It’s a hearty meal, the warm feeling in his belly making Lay feel cosy and satisfied. There’s wifi at the rest stop, so Lay turns on his handphone. Both Chanyeol and Baekhyun have replied him on SNS. Baekhyun asks if he has reached Jeju-do yet. Chanyeol’s raving about New York. There’s a new message from Junmyeon too, instructing Lay to let him know once he has safely reached Baekhyun’s grandparents’ guesthouse. Lay smiles. Junmyeon is such a mother sometimes.

 

Lay boards the bus again, and it’s another two hours before bus reaches the seaside town of Wando.

Lay gets off the bus, uses the washroom, then walks over to the ferry terminal. As he walks along the streets, the biggest thing that strikes him is the welcomed sight of the sea. He lingers at the edge of the road, standing with his his elbows resting on the railing, simply just staring out at the sea, letting the sea breeze blow into his face and hair.

 

He buys a ticket to Jeju-do. Lay enjoys the ferry ride, standing on the deck the whole time, looking out into the sea, enjoying the sea breeze that blows into his face. Since he was a child, Lay has always loved the sea. He feels a sense of belonging to it, as if the sea was a long-lost guardian from his childhood whom he can rely on, which is weird, considering that his hometown of Changsha is nowhere near the sea at all. Some kids standing on the deck near Lay have bought a cup of dried anchovies, and are busy throwing them into the air to feed the seagulls. The kids squeal in delight as the seagulls come swarming over in droves, and Lay smiles on as he looks at them.

 

The ferry pulls in the dock of the Jeju-do harbour. Lay gets off the ferry, walking down metal staircase and jumping down easily to stand on the floating platform. Lay stops to help a couple of elderly passengers who were behind him navigate the rather large step between the gangplank and the platform. After making sure they’ve gotten on the floating platform alright, he helps them carry their luggage all the way to the taxi stand. The elderly couple smile warmly at him, praising him for being such a helpful young man.

 

When Lay steps into the parking lot, he sees Baekhyun’s grandfather waiting for him. He’s wearing blue denim overalls and a flat cap, leaning against an old blue beat-up pick-up truck, smoking a cigarette. The hair peeking out from underneath his cap is a mixture of white and grey, and the face underneath the cap is lined with wrinkles. Lays walks straight towards him. When he spots Lay, his face bursts into a smile. The smile transforms his face, from a grumpy old man to a kindly grandfather.

 

“ _Annyeong-haseyo, hal-abeoji_ ,” says Lay, bowing to Baekyhun’s grandfather.

 

Baekhyun’s grandfather smiles and nods, acknowledging the greeting. He flicks the cigarette stub on the ground, crushing it underneath his boot. Lay puts his guitar in the back of the pick-up truck, making sure its stowed securely. Baekhyun’s grandfather has already slid into the driver’s seat. With a turn of the key, the old pick-up truck cranks to life with a loud chugging.

 

As the pick-up truck chugs down the road, Lay takes in the scenery of Jeju-do rolling past him. The sky here seems wider, the buildings are shorter, more spaced out, and the road is clear, free from traffic conjestions. The vibes are very different from Seoul, more relaxed, slower-paced.

 

Baekhyun’s grandfather asks Lay about his journey from Seoul, about his studies, and asks after his parents and grandparents. Baekhyun’s grandfather speaks with a heavy Jeju-do accent. When Lay first came to Jeju-do last year, he had trouble understanding it, as he was used to only the mainland accent. Baekhyun’s grandparents had trouble understanding Lay too, as he spoke Korean with a heavy Chinese accent. Baekhyun had to constantly translate between them. But one summer of interacting with each other had smoothened out most of their communication kinks between them and Lay found himself conversing with Baekhyun’s grandfather fairly easily.

 

They travel down the main roads for the better part of an hour, before Baekhyun’s grandfather turns off the wide and wide-paved roads to more weather beaten small roads. It’s some time before Lay even sees the sign for the small village of Pyeongdae-ri.  Baekhyun’s grandparents stay in a small seaside village in Jeju-do, far away from the more developed parts of the island like Jeju City and Seogwipo. The village is built on a hill next to the sea. Baekhyun’s grandparents’ guesthouse is right at the top of the hill, where the guests will have the best view overlooking the sea. The pick-up truck follows the long winding road up the hill, but should one walk, there’s another more direct path that follows the ridges of the hill, via a wooden staircase.

 

The pick-up truck pulls up at the entrance of the guesthouse. It’s a large two-storey house. On the first level, there’s the main entrance, with a raised wooden-panelled veranda leading to it. A simple signboard that reads “Byun Family Guesthouse” hangs over the main entrance. To the side of the house, there’s a wooden staircase that leads right up to the second storey, so guests can bypass the main entrance and go straight to their rooms upstairs should they want to.

 

Baekhyun’s grandfather pulls up into the lot and cuts the engine. Lay gets off the truck. He spends some time just standing on the verandah, looking out at the sea. The hill drops below him. The wooden staircase leading downhill sprawls downwards beneath his feet, leading to the cluster of village houses at the base of the hill, and beyond them, the blue, rolling sea. It’s a bright, cloudless day, and because of this, the sea seems especially blue.

 

“ _Aigoo_! You’re here! _Hal-meoni_ has been waiting for you!”

 

Lay smiles as Baekhyun’s grandmother descends the steps of the guesthouse.

 

“ _Annyeong-haseyo, hal-meoni_ ,” says Lay as Baekhyun’s grandmother enfolds him in a hug.

 

Baekhyun’s grandmother leads him into the guesthouse. It’s familiar, memories of the previous summer come rushing back once he steps into the doorway of the guesthouse. The wooden panelled floor, the high ceilings, the clean white walls bathed in soft warm lighting, the reception counter right in front. And behind it, the pantry area, where guests can eat, or make themselves a cup of coffee or tea. There’s a large wooden dining table in the middle, meant to accommodate at least ten people, and also a counter table fixed to the wall, where stools are lined up neatly. At the other side, also lined up against the wall, is where the sink, stove and cabinets are.

 

“You know where you room is, don’t you? Go, put down your things, then come out to eat. You must be hungry.”

 

Lay walks past the pantry. At the end of it, is a corridor that turns to the right. The first door he encounters is the door that leads to the master bedroom, but Baekhyun’s grandparents sleep. Lay walks past this. At the end of the corridor, is a sliding door. Lay slides it open, and he steps into the room that he would be sleeping in for the next couple of months. There’s no bed in the room. There aren’t any at all, in this guesthouse. The only furniture in the room is a wooden cabinet that stands at the foot of the wall. Lay leans his guitar on the wall next to the cabinet, and slides it open. The bottom half of the cabinet is entirely taken up by the futon, blanket and pillow that have been folded neatly inside it. Lay would unroll the futon before he sleeps tonight. Once the futon is unrolled, it would take up almost the entire space in the room. That’s how small the room is, but Lay doesn’t mind it. It’s small, but cosy. Lay unpacks his clothes from his backpack, and places them on the top shelf. There’s a small window in the room. Lay pushes it, the wooden pane sliding upwards, and Lay turns the catch that would hold it up. The view from his window overlooks the side of the hill, and best of the all, the sea. Lay steps into his ensuite bathroom. It’s small, consisting of just the toilet, the sink and the shower head, with no partition to separate out a shower area. Lay takes a quick bath. The whole bathroom gets wet in the process, but this is normal for most bathrooms provided in a small Korean guesthouse.

 

Feeling refreshed, he joins Baekhyun’s grandparents in the kitchen. It’s late in the afternoon, too late for lunch, but too early for dinner. Nevertheless, Baekhyun’s grandmother has cooked something up to feed Lay. It’s _guksu_ , Korean noodle soup, and it tastes delicious. The noodles are chewy, long and thin. The soup, made spicy by liberal amounts of _kimchi_ , is full of sliced radishes, onions and spring onions. There’s a poached egg in the soup too. As Lay eats, Baekhyun’s grandmother chats incessantly. She peppers Lay with questions about Baekhyun. Has Baekhyun been eating well? Has Baekhyun been studying hard? Does Baekhyun have a girlfriend?

 

“ _Aigoo_!” says Baekhyun’s grandmother exclaims in dissatisfaction when Lay tells her that he doesn’t. “When Baekboem was Baekhyun’s age, he was already dating his girlfriend! And look at them now. They’re going to get married soon! Lay, you must look out for Baekhyun, alright? Introduce him to more girls!”

 

Internally, Lay thinks it’s more likely that the extroverted Baekhyun would be introducing girls to him, rather than the other way round, but nevertheless, he smiles and nods along to appease Baekhyun’s grandmother.

 

“And Lay, you must find yourself someone too! A nice boy like you should have no problems finding a girlfriend! Actually, now that I think of it, Auntie Bong who runs the laundromat in the village has a lovely young niece you should meet… …”

 

Lay chokes on his noodles. Laughing, Baekhyun’s grandfather passes Lay a cup of water, which Lay gratefully accepts.

 

“Honey, don’t forget we have to visit the Kim’s later to congratulate them on the birth of their newest grandchild. Is the rice cake ready?”

 

This effectively distracts Baekhyun’s grandmother, and Lay shoots Baekhyun’s grandfather a grateful look as Baekhyun’s grandmother busies herself at the steamer, taking out the _baekseolgi-tteok_ and carefully removing the cloth to reveal the perfectly steamed white rice cake. She tops it with a mixture of dried apricots, cranberries, raisins and nuts, and packs it in a nice box.

 

Baekhyun’s grandfather passes Lay a set of keys. There are four keys on it, and all of them are extremely important to the guesthouse. One key opens the main door, one opens the back door, one opens the money drawer at the reception counter, and the last one opens the little wooden key cabinet that hangs on the wall at the reception counter, where the keys to all the guestrooms are kept. Lay carefully keeps the bunch of keys in the front pocket of his jeans.

 

“The guests at room 104 are checking out later today,” says Baekhyun’s grandfather. Technically, the official checking-out time is 12 p.m., and it is already past noon, but Baekhyun’s grandfather has always been lax with his guests. “I’ve placed the receipt on the table, so you’ll know how much to collect from them. After they have checked out, clean up the room for the next guest.”

 

“Yes, _hal-abeoji_.”

 

Baekhyun’s grandmother looks up from the rice cake.

 

“And oh, we have a new guest coming in today. He’s a solo traveller. You can put him in Room 207. The room is already cleaned and ready.”

 

“Yes, _hal-meoni_.”

 

Baekhyun’s grandfather puts on his flat cap and Baekhyun’s grandmother fusses over the rice cake a bit more before they are both out of the door. Lay washes up his bowl in the sink, and sits behind the reception counter, just in time for the old ladies who had been staying in Room 104 to check out. They are sisters, they tell Lay. The older one is 75 years old, and the younger one is 71. They come to Jeju-do once every year during summer to enjoy the sea. They ask Lay about himself, and Lay explains he’s from China, is studying college in Seoul and is helping out at the guesthouse as a summer job. They coo over Lay, saying how hardworking he is, and how hard it must be for him to study in a foreign country, away from his own family. Lay collects the bill of 200,000 won from them. He carefully locks up the notes in the money drawer. They ask Lay to help them call for a taxi to take them to the airport. When the taxi comes, Lay helps to load their luggage onto it, waving goodbye to the old ladies, who keep turning around to wave as the taxi winds down the hill.

 

After that, Lay sets about cleaning up the room. The room is about twice as big as Lay’s room, like all the guestrooms are. Lay cleans the bathroom first, disinfecting it and giving it a thorough scrub down. He then moves on to the actual bedroom, wiping down the table and cabinet tops and the windows, before vacuuming and moping the floor. He changes the sheets and pillow cases and blanket, before folding up the futon and blanket, placing them neatly with the pillow in the bottom shelf of the cabinet. Satisfied that the room is now as good as new, Lay keeps all the cleaning tools and is putting the used sheets in the big laundry basket in the back room when he hears ringing. Someone is pressing the bell at the reception counter. It must be the new guest.

 

Lay steps out of the back room, and freezes.

 

There’s a young man standing in the middle of the room, right in front of the reception desk.

 

And he’s the most beautiful person Lay has ever seen.

 

He’s tall, and broad-shouldered. He is wearing a black leather jacket, and it hangs off him like he’s a model. He’s wearing a black-and-white checkered button up underneath the jacket, paired with light grey pants which make his legs look impossibly long. His shoes are leather, black, shiny and expensive-looking. His black hair is parted to the side, his fringe framing his face. He has smooth, flawless skin, and a face that is perfectly symmetrical. If you asked Lay to name one particular feature of this boy that is outstanding, Lay won’t be able to. The boy in front of him has a plain face, but yet, it is a face that is exceedingly handsome. He looks like he has stepped straight out of the pages of a fashion magazine. He looks like he should be on a runway in Paris, and not in the foyer of a small traditional Korean guesthouse.

 

As beautiful as the boy in front of him is, he is also cold and aloof. His features are chiselled and sculptured. This, paired with the blank expressionless look on his face, makes him look rather intimidating.  When his eyes locks into Lay’s, Lay senses a heavy sadness behind the blank expression, as if centuries of grief weigh down upon this young boy.

 

“How may I help you?” asks Lay, finding his tongue at last.

 

“I have a reservation.”

 

The boy’s voice is soft. The way he pronounces his words is slightly slurred, as if syllables which should have been separated were joined together. It’s unlike what Lay was expecting. It softens the boy somehow, makes him seem less cold.

 

Even though the boy says he has a reservation, Lay can’t help feeling that there must be a mistake. No one this young ever stays at here. Most young people don’t even know the existence of this guesthouse, since booking it isn’t available on the internet. If people want to book a room here, it has to be done the old-fashioned way ‒ by calling up the landline. Even the occasional young hippies that stumble upon this guesthouse as part of their quest to go off the beaten track, change their mind about wanting to stay the minute they find out that there’s no wifi. The guesthouse depends on a pool of old regular customers who come here year after year as part of their vacation routine. Their youngest customers are around 50 years old. Lay steps behind the reception desk, and flips the book with guest reservation records, squinting at the latest entry pencilled in by Baekhyun’s grandmother.

 

“Oh Sehun?”

 

The boy nods.

 

There’s no mistake then. The boy really does have a reservation to stay here.

 

“Erm… … Welcome to the Byun Family Guesthouse. I’m… erm… Lay.”

 

Lay winces internally. He is such a mess. Why is he always so awkward around people he finds attractive?

 

“Lay hyung.”

 

“Eh?”

 

“Lay hyung. I can call you Lay hyung, right?”

 

“Oh. Erm. Sure!”

 

The boy smiles at him. It’s just a slight smile, the mere slight upturn of the corners of his mouth, but the sight is enough to make Lay’s heart skip a beat.

 

“Erm… you’re in Room… Room…”

 

Damn. Which room was it again?

 

“207! That’s right, Room 207. Let me get you your key. Meanwhile, you can sign the guest log-book first… …”

 

Lay pushes the open guest log-book in Sehun’s direction, before fishing out the bunch of keys from his pocket. Trying not to fumble too much, he selects the correct key and opens the small wooden box hanging on the wall. There are two rows of hooks nailed to wall, with a key hanging from each hook. Lay selects the key for Room 207, and carefully locks the cabinet. By this time, he sees that the boy has finished signing the logbook. Lay glances at it. His script is small, neat and elegant.

 

“This is the pantry,” says Lay, indicating the area behind him with a sweep of his hand. “We serve breakfast here every morning, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Simple Korean breakfast, like porridge, or rice and soup. You can have coffee or tea here, at any time of the day. The sachets are free flow. You can get water from here too.”

 

Sehun doesn’t say anything. He merely nods, an expressionless look on his face.

 

“Your room is on the second floor. Here, let me carry your luggage.”

 

Lay sees a glider luggage standing next to Sehun. Lay doesn’t know how to recognise branded stuff, but it looks expensive. He hefts it up by the top handle and makes for the stairs.

 

“Lay hyung, you don’t have to carry my luggage. It’s heavy. I can carry it myself… …”

 

“Oh, it’s part of my job! I should carry it.”

 

Lay is already halfway up the stairs, so Sehun follows him with no further protest. The guesthouse is a small one, with only 12 rooms, five on the first level and seven on the second one. Room 207 is the room right at the end of the corridor on the second floor, the furthest one from the staircase. Lay uses the key to open the room. Reaching inside, the flips the light switch on. He holds the door open for Sehun, letting Sehun enter the room first. Immediately upon entering the room, there’s an area for people to take off and leave their shoes. Sehun elegantly toes off his leather loafers before he steps up to the raised wooden flooring, which covers the entirety of the room. Lay follows, bringing Sehun’s glider luggage with him. He leaves it standing neatly at the wall near the entrance of the room.

 

“The bedding’s here,” says Lay, crouching down at the wooden cabinet, opening it to reveal the folded up futon, blanket and pillow inside it. “Would you like me to unroll it for you now?”

 

Sehun shakes his head.

 

“The bathroom’s this way.” Lay opens the door to the ensuite bathroom. “We provide towels, shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Let me know if you run out of anything. To get hot water, just turn the tap to the right. The hot water takes a while to come out though. Just leave the tap running for a minute or so, then the hot water will come.”

 

Sehun acknowledges all Lay has said with a nod. He’s standing facing Lay, his full attention upon Lay. Lay finds this slightly disconcerting. Usually at this point, most guests are exploring the room while Lay talks. Their focus is mostly on the room and not on Lay. But for Sehun, it seems to be the other way round. He has barely glanced at the room, and is fully riveted by Lay.

 

“Will there be anything else that you would like me to help you with?”

 

Sehun shakes his head. Despite this, he doesn’t seem to be ready to dismiss Lay yet. He is staring at Lay intently, and his body hasn’t turn away from Lay yet.

 

“Erm… … I’ll just be downstairs then, if you need anything… …”

 

Lay feels slightly awkward to be the one turning away from Sehun first, but he does it anyway, since there is no reason for Lay to continue being in this room anymore. He has one foot already into his trainers when Sehun calls him back softly.

 

“Lay hyung.”

 

Lay turns around.

 

“Coud you help me lay out the futon?”

 

“Oh. Sure.”

 

Lay steps out of his shoe and re-enters the room. Opening the cabinet, he takes out the futon, unrolling it and laying it out neatly in the centre of the floor. He puts the pillow at the head of it, then spreads out the comforter over it. The pristine white futon contrasts prettily with the dark wooden panelling of the floor. It somehow matches with the white-painted walls, and the wooden beams criss-crossing the ceiling. Lay slides open the large wooden window, and outside, the view of the sea is like a real-life scenery painting.

 

Lay turns back to Sehun. “Can I help you with anything else?”

 

Sehun shakes his head.

 

Lay goes back to wear his shoes. Sehun doesn’t call him back this time. Lay leaves the room, returning the reception desk. A couple guests walk past, on their way out to dinner, and Lay greets them. As he sits behind the desk, waiting for Baekhyun’s grandparents to return, he thinks back on the exchange he just had with Sehun. He had done everything he is supposed to do, but he can’t shake the feeling that he has let Sehun down somehow, that he should have done something more for Sehun.

 

The next morning, Lay dips his mop in the bucket, presses it against the plastic strainer to squeeze out the excess water. Mornings, after breakfast service is over, is the best time to clean up, because most guests would have gone out to explore Jeju-do. He pushes the mop up and down on the floor, leaving no spot uncovered. He diligently mops down the length of the corridor. The next place to mop would be the back patio. He slides open the wooden sliding door, and steps over the ridge of the sliding door, bringing his pail and mop with him, and comes up short.

 

“Oh! Sorry! I didn’t mean to disturb.”

 

The back patio isn’t empty like Lay had expected it to be. Sehun is sitting there, at one of the tables, and Lay had very nearly swung the end of his mop right into his face. Lay hastily moves his mop away from his guest. He hopes Sehun doesn’t notice the tip of his ears flaming.

 

“I’ll… er… come back later…”

 

Lay slides open the wooden door again, all ready to bring himself, his mop and his bucket back into the house, but Sehun stops him.

 

“Lay hyung.”

 

Lay stops. It feels weird, to have a guest call him hyung.

 

“Please, go ahead. I don’t mind.”

 

“Oh really? Oh… erm… that’s really nice of you… thanks…”

 

Lay internally cringes at how lame he sounds. To save himself further embarrassment, Lay lets his voice trail off. He quickly goes to the far end of the patio, away from Sehun, and starts intently moping his floor there.

 

After some time, Lay figures it’s safe to sneak a peek at Sehun. Sehun has turned back to the laptop he has open on the table in front of him. He’s busy typing, his eyes glued to the screen. He’s not paying any attention to Lay at all. Seeing this, Lay relaxes somewhat, and feels less self-conscious.

 

As Lay mops down the patio, it is inevitable that he eventually reaches where Sehun is sitting. Lay was dreading the moment when he would have to interrupt Sehun in his typing, but when he reaches Sehun, Sehun automatically stands up and moves aside. Lay quickly mops the area where Sehun had been sitting.

 

But there is another problem now though. The floor there is now wet, so Sehun can’t sit back down until it’s dry again. Lay looks at Sehun sheepishly, but Sehun only smiles at him. While waiting for the floor to dry, he goes to sit on the balustrade, his back against the pillar, one leg stretched out flat on the railing, and the other bent at the knee. Behind him, is the backdrop of the hill and the sea beyond. The sight is so lovely that Lay can’t help staring. Lay quickly catches himself, and hastily retreats back inside the guesthouse with his mop and bucket.

 

Over the next few days, Lay notices that unlike other guests, Sehun does not leave the guesthouse much. To other guests, the guesthouse is merely a place to sleep while they go out in the day to explore the island. However, Sehun only ever leaves the guesthouse to eat lunch and dinner. Otherwise, once he’s done eating breakfast at the pantry, he sits at the back patio, typing at his laptop. He sits at the same table every day. This puts him in the direct line of sight from the reception desk, should Lay turn around. It’s distracting, knowing that the most beautiful person in the world is sitting right behind him, but Lay constantly resists the urge to turn around and look. He doesn’t want Sehun to think that he is a creep.

 

Lay shivers in his seat. It is cold today. Uncharacteristically cold for summer. Over the crackling radio that sits at the reception desk next to Lay, the DJ talks about the cold monsoon rains that are sweeping over the East China Sea and blowing into Jeju-do. Lay is wearing a pullover over his shirt, and it is not enough to keep him warm from the cold because of the wind blowing in from the open back door. Usually, in such cases, Lay would just get up and close the door, but Sehun is sitting right there. Lay decides that closing the door would probably be rude to his guest, so he gets up to get his down jacket. On the way to his bedroom, he passes by the back patio. Lay notices Sehun is just wearing a light jacket. His face, especially his lips, looks pale from the cold. His fringe is being blown into his eyes by the wind. Nevertheless, his eyes are glued to his laptop screen, and his fingers are incessant as they tap onto the keyboard.

 

Lay walks into his bedroom, opens his closet and grabs his down jacket. As he walks past the door that leads out to the back patio again, his eyes rest on Sehun. Coming to a sudden decision, Lay stops in the kitchen instead of heading straight back to the reception desk. He tears open a sachet of green tea, puts the tea bag in a cup, and pours hot water into it. He takes the mug of tea to the back patio.

 

“Would you like to have some tea?” asks Lay. “It’s cold today. You should drink something warm.”

 

Sehun smiles at him. It is a just a slight smile, but it transforms his face instantly.

 

“Thank you, Lay hyung.”

 

Lay puts the steaming mug on the table and turns to leave.

 

“Lay hyung.”

 

Lay turns back.

 

“Could you sit with me for a while?”

 

Lay really should be manning the reception desk. But he finds himself sitting down next to Sehun anyway.

 

“It’s cold out here. Perhaps you should wear something warmer?” suggests Lay gently.

 

“I don’t have anything warmer. It’s summer, so I wasn’t expecting the weather to be cold. I’m alright, Lay hyung. Please don’t worry about me.”

 

Sehun looks so pale and so sad when he says this.

 

“If you like, you could borrow my down jacket? It’s newly washed, and I haven’t worn it yet.”

 

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly borrow yours. Don’t you need it for yourself?”

 

“I’ll be fine. I’ll be indoors most of the time, so I don’t really need it. But you really shouldn’t be sitting out here in the cold without a warm jacket.”

 

Sehun does not protest further, so Lay takes his silence as consent. He holds out the jacket to Sehun. Instead of taking it, Sehun stands up.

 

“Lay hyung, would you put it on for me?”

 

He turns around, so that his back his facing Lay. He holds out his arms expectantly.

 

Lay gapes at Sehun, his mouth open like a goldfish. But Sehun is still waiting for him, so Lay stands up too, shaking the jacket open. Carefully, he slides the sleeves of the jacket into Sehun’s arms and adjusts the jacket so that it sits nicely on Sehun’s shoulders.

 

Sehun turns around. He looks good. He wears the jacket better than Lay ever had.

 

Sehun sits back down and takes a sip of tea.

 

“It’s good.”

 

The rising steam warms his cheeks, making them seem less pale.

 

“It’s just tea from a tea bag,” says Lay, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

 

“It tastes good because Lay hyung is the one who made it for me.”

 

The tips of Lay’s ears are burning. Lay struggles to change the topic, anything to distract both Sehun and himself from his embarrassment.

 

“What are you working on?” asks Lay, indicating Sehun’s laptop.

 

“I’m writing a book.”

 

Ah. It makes sense now. Why Sehun would stay in all day long, and not go out at all. Lay looks around. It’s beautiful, quiet. The hills and the sea surround them. It feels like they are tucked away at a corner of the world. They don’t even have wifi here, so the distractions of the outside world don’t touch them. It is a good place to write a book.

 

“What is your book about?”

 

“It is set in ancient china. It is about a young boy who is a fisherman. He lost his father in a storm and is now the sole breadwinner of his family. He goes out to sea one day, and catches something unexpected in his net.”

 

“Oh?” Lay’s interest is piqued. “What does he catch?”

 

“The Third Son of the Dragon King.”

 

Lay blinks at Sehun, digesting this.

 

“So… … they get to know each other?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Lay nods, considering this. It is a rather interesting plotline. It could make for a good story.

 

“Would you like to read it?”

 

Sehun unzips the leather bag that is sitting on the chair next to him. He draws out a stack of papers on from it, neatly bound with a paper fastener.

 

“The story has 13 chapters. I am still working on the last chapter, but the first 12 chapters are done. Would you like to read them?”

 

Lay takes over the stack of papers.

 

“Sure. I will start reading it tonight, after my chores are done.”

 

With that, Lay leaves Sehun. He keeps the stack of papers carefully in his bedroom drawer, before making his way back to the reception desk. He sneaks another glance at Sehun before he sits back down. Though his face is expressionless as always, he seems happier, warmer. There is some colour in his cheeks, and the look in his eyes is not so sad anymore.

 

The next morning, Lay is helping Baekhyun’s grandmother with the breakfast service.  She has tasked him to stir the big pot of porridge she has simmering over the fire, while she busies herself with preparing the side dishes.

 

“Good morning, _hal-meoni_ , Lay hyung.”

 

“ _Aigoo_! It’s my handsomest guest. Come, sit down here. You are early, so breakfast is not ready yet. Wait for a short while. The porridge will be ready very soon!”

 

“What would you like to drink? Coffee or tea?”

 

“Our Sehunnie has been staying here for seven days already, and you don’t know what Sehunnie drinks in the morning? Sehunnie likes to start his day with a nice cup of hot chocolate. Come, let _hal-meoni_ make it for you!”

 

Lay watches Baekhyun’s grandmother heat up milk in a saucepan and add the cocoa powder in while stirring the saucepan. The cocoa powder is Baekhyun’s grandmother’s personal stash. Hot chocolate is not on the menu of items that they serve to customers. Baekhyun’s grandmother must have taken a liking to Sehun. She puts the hot chocolate in front of Sehun, who sips it daintily. She comes over and peeks into the pot Lay has been stirring.

 

“Ah, it’s almost done. Lay-ah, stir the porridge just a little bit more. Then you can turn the flame smaller and serve it to Sehunnie. I’ll go outside now and tell the old man that breakfast is ready.”

 

Lay scoops a big bowl of porridge and puts it in front of Sehun. He scoops three more bowls, and places them on the table. Lay notices that Sehun has yet to touch his porridge.

 

“Please go ahead and eat.”

 

“But how about Lay hyung? Isn’t Lay hyung going to eat?”

 

“I’ll wait for _hal-abeoji_ and _hal-meoni_.”

 

“Then Sehun will wait too.”

 

“Oh, you don’t have to! You’re a guest.”

 

“Sehun wants to eat with Lay hyung.”

 

Sehun says this with absolute finality. Lay blinks at him, not knowing what to say. Breakfast service starts at 8 a.m. Was this why Sehun made a special effort to come half an hour earlier, so that he could eat with Lay? Lay thinks of how Sehun sits alone at the back patio all day long, how he leaves alone to go to the village for lunch and dinner, and how he comes back alone, and how sad and pale he looks.

 

“Has Lay hyung read my book?”

 

“I read the first chapter before I went to bed last night,” says Lay, grateful for the change in topic.

 

“Did you like it?”

 

“Yes,” smiles Lay. “You write well.”

 

“What did you like best about it?”

 

“I like Shixun.”

 

“You do?” Sehun bursts out into a sudden bright smile, and Lay’s breath is very nearly taken away.

 

“Yes, he’s cute.”

 

“Yes, Shixun is very cute! Isn’t he?”

 

Sehun’s whole face is shining with happiness. It’s a far cry from the sad, pale boy that stepped into the kitchen for breakfast. The new look suits him. Sehun must really be emotionally invested in his book, Lay muses, such that a single praise towards one of his characters would make him so happy.

 

“How about Yixing ge-ge? You like Yixing ge-ge too, right?”

 

Lay smiles and nods. “I feel like… … I can relate to him. He feels… … familiar.”

 

“Yixing ge-ge is the best!”

 

Lay laughs at that. Sehun is cute.

 

Baekhyun’s grandfather and grandmother come into the kitchen and the four of them eat breakfast together. Baekhyun’s grandmother fusses over the two of them, and Lay can see Sehun basking in the attention. After breakfast, Sehun retreats to the back patio with his laptop, Lay goes about doing the housekeeping rounds, Baekhyun’s grandmother stays in the kitchen to serve breakfast to their guests and Baekhyun’s grandfather does some maintenance work around the guesthouse, replacing bulbs that have blown, tightening leaky pipes and the such. After his housekeeping duties are done, Lay makes Sehun a cup of tea, iced this time since the weather is back to usual summer temperatures today, earning him a smile from Sehun.

 

When afternoon comes around, Sehun leaves the guesthouse for lunch. His face is blank and expressionless as usual when he greets Lay goodbye, but Lay cannot shake the feeling that Sehun is sad, especially compared to how bright and happy he was at breakfast. This weighs down on Lay, even as he eats lunch with Baekhyun’s grandparents. After lunch, Baekhyun’s grandfather pays him his first set of wages, passing him the week’s worth of pay in dollar bills sealed in an envelope, and Lay comes to a decision.

 

That evening, Lay is waiting at the reception desk. Predictably, Sehun walks down the staircase, having stowed his laptop in his room, and he greets Lay goodbye on his way out for dinner.

 

“Erm… … Sehun-ah… …”

 

Sehun stops before he reaches the door.

“I… … erm… … got my pay today… … and _hal-abeoji_ and _hal-meoni_ agreed to give me an evening off… … so I was wondering… … if I could… … buy you dinner?”

 

In response, Sehun beams at Lay. His smile lights up his face, highlighting his cheekbones.

 

“Sehun would love to eat dinner with Lay hyung!”

 

Lay tries to will the tips of his ears to stop flaming as he puts on his jacket. Side by side, they walk down the wooden staircase down the hill together. The sun is starting to set, and the sky is painted in hues of gold, pink and orange. The sea reflects the brilliant orange colours. The seagulls flock overhead as they come back to shore to roost, their sharp cries piercing the evening.

 

The village is small. There is only one street where all the shops and restaurants are. Lay leads the way, bringing Sehun to the Korean barbeque restaurant at the end of the street. It is the most expensive restaurant the village has to offer. It is not as expensive as Korean barbeque restaurants in Seoul of course, but it is still more than Lay can really afford. Even so, Lay really wants to buy Sehun the best that is on offer, even if this means he would have to live on instant noodles for a while when he returns to Seoul.

 

The bell dings when Lay opens the door. He holds it open for Sehun, and lets Sehun walk into the restaurant first. Like all the businesses in the village, the restaurant is a small family-run operation. The owners, a middle-aged couple, greet Lay and Sehun warmly. They seat them at a corner of the restaurant, near the window. Lay looks through the menu, and quickly decides on the cheapest cut available.

 

“Everything looks so good! What are you having, Lay hyung?”

 

“I’ll get the pork belly set.”

 

“Sehun will have that too!”

 

“You should have something better. The prime beef ribs perhaps? Baekhyun said they are to die for… …”

 

“Sehun will have the same set as Lay hyung,” says Sehun firmly. “Sehun doesn’t care what Sehun eats. The important thing is that Sehun gets to eat together with Lay hyung.”

 

The tips of Lay’s ears redden again, but he can’t bring himself to care. He is too busy trying to get his fluttering heart under control. Lay waves to the _ahjuma_ and he orders for both of them when she comes over. The _ahjusshi_ comes with a tray of charcoal, and he lights it for them. This restaurant is the one of the few places in the village that provides free wifi for their guests, so Lay makes use of it to check his SNS. Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Junmyeon have posted lots of pictures of New York. Lay has got quite a few messages too. Junmyeon and Jongdae are asking if he is doing alright. Baekhyun asks after his grandparents too, and Lay sends him a selca that he took with Baekhyun’s grandparents earlier.

 

“Are you messaging this Baekhyun you mentioned earlier?”

 

Lay looks up from his handphone. Is Sehun… … pouting?

 

“He’s my friend from college. His grandparents own the guesthouse. We came here together last summer to help out in the guesthouse.”

 

Sehun nods, his pout becoming more pronounced.

 

The sight of it makes Lay panic a little.

 

“We’re just friends,” Lay blurts out.

 

The effect on Sehun is immediate. He perks up immediately, all traces of his pout gone.

 

“Really?”

 

“Really.”

 

Sehun smiles at Lay. The sight is so beautiful that Lay gets lost in it. He is brought back to reality when the _ahjuma_ comes with a tray laden with slices of pork belly, lettuce, sauce and assorted side dishes. Lay and Sehun start barbecuing the meat. When the first slice of pork, the one directly over where the flames are the strongest, is done, Lay uses his chopsticks to take it off the fire. He places it on a lettuce leaf, spreads some sauce of it, adds in a dash of kimchi and a piece of garlic, before wrapping it in a lettuce leaf. Using his chopsticks, he deposits it on Sehun’s plate.

 

Smiling, Sehun eats it.

 

“Thank you, Lay hyung! It’s so good!”

 

Then it is Sehun’s turn to wrap a piece of cooked meat. Like Lay, he doesn’t eat it himself. But unlike Lay, he doesn’t deposit on Lay’s plate. Instead, he holds it out in his bare hand. Blushing slightly, Lay leans forward, and Sehun feeds it directly into Lay’s mouth. In this fashion, they take turns throughout the meal, always feeding each other, and never themselves.

 

As they wait for the meat to cook over the flame, they talk. Lay talks about his childhood in Changsha, how both his parents work, so he was brought up by his grandparents. He talks about coming over to Korea to study, how hard it had been at first, but how his group of friends helped him to settle in. Lay finds out that Sehun has graduated from high school. He is applying for universities, but is not sure which one he will choose yet, but for now, he’s spending the summer vacationing in Jeju-do to write his book. Lay remembers his own summer break before college. Lay had spent it working in a coffee joint. Sehun’s family must be rich if Sehun doesn’t need to work. His heart goes out to Sehun when he finds out Sehun’s mother had died when he was young, so he had never known her. He was brought up by his father and two older brothers. His father and brothers are strict with him, but his sister-in-law, the wife of his oldest brother, dotes on him. Lay can understand her. If Sehun were his younger brother, he’ll spoil Sehun rotten too.

 

All too soon, Lay is feeding Sehun the last piece of meat. After chewing and swallowing, Sehun’s face falls, and he is back to looking pale and sad again. Lay secretly panics. Had he done something wrong? But things had been going so well.

 

“I wish… …”

 

Sehun’s voice trails off.

 

“What is it?” asks Lay gently.

 

“I wish this dinner didn’t have to end.”

 

“We can always eat together again.”

 

“But Lay hyung usually eats at the guesthouse with _hal-abeoji_ and _hal-meoni_.”

 

As an employee of the guesthouse, Lay is provided with free room and board.

 

“As a guest, I’m only allowed to eat breakfast there, so I can’t eat lunch and dinner with Lay hyung. Breakfast is the only time I’m allowed to eat with Lay hyung.”

 

Sehun looks absolutely downcast.

 

“I’ll ask _hal-meoni_ about it. We don’t usually serve guests lunch and dinner because _hal-meoni_ says breakfast service alone is quite a lot of effort already, so she is not willing to provide lunch and dinner even when customers are willing to pay for it, but she seems to dote on you, so she might be willing to bend the rules for you.”

 

“Lay hyung is the best!”

 

Lay laughs. Sehun is cute.

 

Lay pays the bill. They greet the _ahjussi_ and _ahjuma_ goodbye, and Lay tries to ignore their knowing grins. Lay isn’t really sure what he actually wanted to achieve by asking Sehun out for dinner. All he knew was that he hadn’t wanted Sehun to feel lonely or sad. But judging by how the evening went, tonight’s dinner had definitely been a date, and the restaurant owners have been able to see that too.

 

By this time, day has given way to night. Lay and Sehun walk through the village. The night starts to get cold. Both Lay’s and Sehun’s hair are tousled by the wind, the wind blowing their fringes into their eyes. As they walk the wooden staircase up the hill, the stars come out to shine. They shine bigger and brighter here, compared to back in Seoul or Changsha. In the darkness, the buildings of the village can’t be seen anymore, but the lights from various windows shine into the night, and the sight is beautiful.

 

“Are you going to continue reading my book tonight?”

 

“Yes, before I sleep. I will start on Chapter 2 tonight.”

 

“What do you think it will be about?”

 

“I think… … maybe Shixun will help Yixing with his fishing?”

 

“Yes, he does,” smiles Sehun. The look in his eyes is fond and distant at the same time.

 

“When will you get some time off again?” asks Sehun when they reach the top of the staircase.

 

“Maybe in a week’s time. I get either an evening or an afternoon off once a week. Would you like to do something together again?”

 

Lay smiles when Sehun nods eagerly.

 

“There are some hiking trails that lead out from our village. Would you like to go on them together?”

 

Sehun’s delighted reaction is all the answer that Lay needs. They walk into the guesthouse. Baekyun’s grandfather is closing up the reception counter for the day. They greet him goodnight. Lay walks Sehun up to his room. They say goodnight to each other, before Lay makes his way back to his own little room. Lay takes a bath, then settles comfortably in his futon. Lay lifts his eyes to the ceiling. Abruptly, he realises that Sehun’s room is directly above his. Sehun is there, above him. With his back against the wall, Lay takes out Sehun’s manuscript, flips to the next chapter, and starts reading.

 

“How do you like Chapter 2?” asks Sehun over breakfast the next morning.

 

They are alone in the kitchen, Baekhyun’s grandmother has just stepped out to see to the request of a guest and Baekhyun’s grandfather has gone to drive a neighbour to the airport.

 

“I like it. I like how Yixing and Shixun have this little routine, having lunch together every day, trading kisses all the time, learning things from each other. They are so sweet and cute together.”

 

“Yes, they are, aren’t they?”

 

Lay smiles at Sehun’s obvious happiness.

 

After breakfast, Lay goes about his usual routine. But now, he doesn’t have to admire Sehun from afar anymore. Whenever he has a lull in between his housekeeping and receptionist duties, he sits with Sehun at the back patio. Whenever Lay sits with him, Sehun would stop his typing altogether and focus his full attention on Lay. Curious about the results of Sehun’s incessant typing, Lay asks, but Sehun refuses to tell Lay how the last chapter of his story is going.

 

“Lay hyung should finish reading the first twelve chapters first,” he tells Lay firmly. “Then I’ll let Lay hyung know what Chapter 13 is about.”

 

Sehun eats lunch and dinner at the guesthouse now. Baekhyun’s grandmother dotes on Sehun, fussing over him like he were her own grandchild. Every night, before he sleeps, Lay reads a chapter of Sehun’s manuscript, and the next morning, Sehun would ask him what he thought of it.

 

“I like the new direction the story is taking. It’s sad that Yixing is likely leaving, but the idea of him becoming a Mount Shu disciple is awesome.”

 

“I didn't expect Shixun to come up with a plan to follow Yixing on his journey. What a cheeky and smart dragon!”

 

“The Mount Shu entrance examinations are so interesting! But… …”

 

“What is it, Lay hyung?”

 

“The flashback that Yixing had underneath the Illusion Tree, about his last moments with his father in the storm? It really got to me,” Lay admits. “It felt so real. I could imagine everything… ... the storm, the lightning, the waves, the feeling of being flung underwater and brought up again by the wood, Yixing calling out for his father in the storm… ….”

 

Before Lay can continue, Sehun has reached over and enveloped Yixing in a hug. Lay stiffens a little, surprised by the sudden contact, but he quickly melts into the embrace. It feels good, being held by Sehun.

 

“I’m sorry, Lay hyung.”

 

“Oh, please don’t be sorry. This has nothing to do with you. It’s just me being unnecessarily emotional.”

 

“You have dark eyebags today, Lay hyung.” Sehun gently traces a finger gently over them. “Did you not sleep well last night?”

 

“I couldn’t sleep,” admits Lay. “The scene kept replaying in my head… … and even when I eventually fell asleep, I had nightmares about the storm… …”

 

“If this happens again, Lay hyung must let me know. You can come to my room and wake me up. No matter how late in the night it is.”

 

Lay smiles. Sehun is so sweet to him.

 

“I’ll be fine. I just overreacted a little last night, that’s all.”

 

Sehun accepts this. He steps back, letting his arms drop away from Lay. Lay immediately mourns the lack of contact.

 

One week passes, and the time for Lay’s afternoon off comes round again. Lay smiles at Sehun’s barely contained excitement. After interacting with Sehun for the past week, he has started to become rather adept at reading Sehun. Lay wonders how he once thought Sehun as expressionless. Behind his placid resting face, Sehun’s emotions are as plain as an open book. One only had to know how to read it.

 

Sehun is sitting at his usual spot on the back patio, practically vibrating with latent energy. Lay can tell he can’t wait to set off so Lay tries to pack quickly. He stuffs two bottles of mineral water, two rolls of the _gimbap_ that Baekhyun’s grandmother made for them, two sets of disposable chopsticks, two ponchos, a towel and a packet of wet tissue into his backpack.

 

“Lay hyung!”

 

As Lay steps out to the back patio, Sehun stands up to greet him. Sehun is wearing a black long-sleeved jumper, with red and white stripes across the chest, and long black shorts that reach up to knees. His sneakers are black, with white laces. A pair of huge square sunglasses sit perched on his nose. He looks ridiculously good.

 

Lay leads the way. The entrance of the trail starts just ahead. From the front of the guesthouse, if you walked downhill, that would be where the village was. But from the back of the guesthouse, it’s where the coastal hiking trail starts, which is one of the reasons why the guesthouse is popular with the old-timers.

 

A long wooden staircase goes down the side of the hill. As Lay and Sehun descend the staircase, the hill on their left is covered with long grass, dotted sporadically with scrub bushes and the occasional short stunted tree. On their right, the grass thins out until the side of the hill is bare rock, which slopes all the way downward in a steep cliff right into the sea. As they walk, they can hear the sound of the sea as it crashes again and again into the wall of the cliff. The sea is beautiful, sparkling in the summer sun. Nearer the shore, the waters are a bright azure blue, but further away, towards the open sea, the waters are a deep pure blue.

 

“Lay hyung, look at the sea! It’s so lovely!”

 

It’s lovely, but not quite as lovely as you, is what Lay thinks in his heart, but does not say out loud.

 

Brilliant summer blooms frame the trail. There are clusters of white flowers, numerous individual stalks of yellow daisies, and balls of fluffy purple flowers. Yixing picks a dandelion, and holds it up for Sehun to blow into. Sehun’s cheeks swell outwards like a puffer fish as he takes a single huge deep breath. He lets it all out in one shot, and Lay stares in amazement as the all the white tuffs detach from the flower and dance away on the sea breeze, leaving Lay holding an empty stalk in his hand.

 

They see many birds on the trail too. Sehun tells Lay all of their names.

 

“The big one that is black in colour, with one strip down its wing, and the tail that is black on top and white at the bottom, which it keeps waving up and down? That’s a magpie robin. The big brown ones with the crests on their heads are bulbuls. The small black ones with the white bellies and forked tails are swallows.”

 

Lay is impressed with Sehun’s knowledge. From his fashionable appearance, he had figured out Sehun to be a city boy.  He hadn’t expected Sehun to be a nature connoisseur.

 

They see wild horses too, grazing right next to the trail. Sehun whistles to one of them, a grey and white mare, and she comes obediently towards him. Lay is surprised. He has never seen a wild horse so receptive to humans before. Sehun is cooing at her, stroking the down her neck. He invites Lay to pet her too. Lay gently rubs the side of her cheek.

 

“She likes Lay hyung!”

 

Sehun declares this with absolute conviction, as if he could read the mare’s mind, and Lay can’t help but smile at this.

 

“Did you read my book last night?” asks Sehun. They are walking down a forested path, with pine trees on either side of them. The trail here is narrow, so they have to walk one in front of the other.

 

“Ah, I’m so sad that Yixing and Shixun got separated! And I can’t even dislike Lu Han for it because his explanation makes so much sense. Are you going to reunite them in the next chapter?”

 

“That’s for Lay hyung to find out when you read the next chapter tonight.”

 

Lay smiles. He had expected that answer from Sehun anyway. Sehun has always been very adamant that Lay read the story on his own and form his own opinions about it.

 

The trail hugs the coastline. As they slope downwards, they leave the hills behind and approach a white sandy beach. The wooden staircase bottoms out and empties out onto a dirt trail. After the pass the beach, rocks overtake where the sand had been. They are closer to the sea now, walking right alongside it. The waves lap at the rocks right next to the trail. They occasionally overtake other hikers, and pass by some locals fishing in the sea. They are standing on the black rocks that lead into the sea with their long fishing rods. Sehun is in a good mood. He greets whoever they walk past politely, his voice quiet but happy. 

 

The trail then turns inwards, through a forested area. As they walk deeper into the forest, they leave the sea behind. Trees surround them. The broad expanse of sky that they had been enjoying throughout the trail thus far disappears, blocked from view by the leaves and branches overhead.

 

“Look, Lay hyung. There’s a stream over there! Let’s go take a look.”

 

Lay looks over at where Sehun is pointing at. There’s a sparkling running water ahead, some distance away from the trail. Sehun’s face is shining with enthusiasm, and there is no way Lay is going to say no.

 

“Sure.”

 

Sehun leads the way, picking his way through the undergrowth. Every step, every movement he makes is so elegant.

 

“The stream is so pretty!”

 

Lay internally agrees with Sehun. The stream is shallow, probably only knee deep. The water is clear, as transparent as tap water. The bottom of the river bed can be clearly seen through. Several rocks jut out of the water surface, causing ripples on the water surface as the water flows around them.

 

“Look, Lay hyung. There are fish over there!”

 

They are so still, Lay hadn’t noticed them until Sehun pointed them out. The fish are rather big, silvery and still, hovering above the river bed. The only part of their bodies that move are their mouths, which repeatedly open and close.

 

“Lay hyung, catch a fish for Sehun.”

 

“What?”

 

Lay thinks Sehun must be joking, but Sehun looks completely serious. He is looking at Lay, his expression both earnest and hopeful.

 

“Sehun is hungry. Catch a fish and roast it over a fire for Sehun.”

 

“But I don’t know how to catch a fish.”

 

Sehun’s face falls. The edges of his lips curve downwards into a pout. The sight of it sends Lay into a slight panic mode.

 

“Erm… … I suppose I could try?”

 

To Lay’s relief, the pout on Sehun’s face immediately disappears, and his entire face lights up. Lay turns his eyes to the stream. He has averted the crisis of Sehun pouting, but now, he is faced with another problem. How on earth is he supposed to catch a fish?

 

Lay toes off his trainers. Standing awkwardly on one leg at a time, he removes his socks too. He rolls up his pants to knee-level. Next to him, Sehun follows his lead and does the same. Hesitantly, Lay steps barefoot into the stream. The water feels cold. Sehun follows Lay in. Side by side, they make their way across the river bed, to where the fish are.

 

Lay hesitates. How is he going to do this? He glances at Sehun. Sehun is brimming with happiness. Lay remembers how sad Sehun had seemed when Lay first set eyes on him. Well, if he could keep this expression of happiness on Sehun’s face for a while longer, Lay supposes it doesn’t hurt to try.

 

There is a solitary fish not too far ahead from him. Lay figures this one to be an easy target. He approaches it cautiously. Before he can get close, the fish startles and darts away. It’s alarmingly swift. Lay tries to chase after it. He slips on an underwater rock, and before he knows it, he is sitting in the shallow stream. His clothes are wet from the almighty splash he had made going down. Laughing, Sehun helps him to his feet. Even amid his own embarrassment, Lay notices that Sehun has a bright tinkling laugh.

 

“Are you alright, Lay hyung?”

 

Lay ducks his head, the tips of his ears burning.

 

“I’m fine. Just that my clothes are wet… …”

 

Sehun helps Lay back to bank. Lay sits on the bank. He feels utterly embarrassed. He wanted to do something cool for Sehun, but all he achieved was showing how clumsy he is. Sehun sits down next to Lay. He rummages through Lay’s backpack and takes out the towel. Sehun gently dabs at Lay’s face and hair, then his arms and legs. Lay’s clothes are still wet, but he supposes that they will dry soon enough under the summer sun.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t manage to catch any fish for you.”

 

“That’s alright, Lay hyung! What matters is that Lay hyung tried because Sehun asked you to. Lay hyung treats Sehun the best!”

 

Lay finds himself reddening again. He tries to hide his blush by using the towel to dab non-existent water drops on his face. He takes out the rolls of _gimbap_ from his backpack. He passes one to Sehun, and unwraps the aluminium foil from the other. Lay sees that Baekhyun’s grandmother has used ham, cheese, egg, cucumbers as fillings for this _gimbap_. Lay pops one into his mouth. It tastes refreshing. It is only after he has eaten the first piece does Lay realise how hungry he is. He is all ready to devour his roll of _gimbap_ , when he glances at Sehun. Sehun hasn’t touch the roll of _gimbap_ in his lap at all. He is pouting sadly at it.

 

Abruptly, Lay realises what Sehun wants. He picks up a piece of _gimbap_ , and feeds it to Sehun. Sehun’s expression immediately clears up and he happily accepts the piece. He unrolls his own _gimbap_ , and feeds a piece out of it to Lay.

 

“It’s been two hours already,” says Lay after they have both finished feeding each other all the _gimbap_. “It’s time to head back.”

 

Predictably, Sehun starts to pout again. Lay smiles. Sehun is cute.

 

“Let’s have dinner together?” asks Lay, hoping to cheer Sehun up. He is rewarded when Sehun perks up immediately.

 

The walk back to the village is pleasant. Lay’s legs are aching a little, but in a good way. He knows he will sleep well tonight. The sun is starting to set as they walk back into the village, the sky and the sea are glowing orange. The path is not too wide, but it is enough for two people to walk comfortably side by side with adequate distance in between them, but Sehun walks very, very close to Lay, so close that their bodies keep bumping or touching. Despite this, Lay does not move away. It is a good two hours hike back, but when the hill that leads back to the guesthouse appears on the crest on the horizon, it feels like no time has passed at all.

 

They climb up the wooden staircase, walk past the guesthouse, then down the other wooden staircase into the village.

 

“What would you like to eat?” asks Lay. “Would you like to go back to the Korean barbeque restaurant again?” It is, after all, the best restaurant the village has to offer.

 

“Let’s eat here!” Sehun pulls Lay to a roadside stall. It’s a simple set-up, with an elderly couple running it. Several metal foldable tables and chairs have been set up at the side of the street. The old man who owns the stall cooks at a small outdoor portable stove. His wife takes the orders, serves the food, cleans the table and washes the dishes. A small assortment of fish, shellfish, prawns and crabs are laid on a bed of ice in a big styrofoam box, and there are several big red basins filled to the brim with sea water, with live seafood in them − wild abalone, sea cucumbers and sea urchins and small octopuses caught by the _ahjuma_ herself, who is also one of the village’s local _haenyeo_ , women who dive into the sea to harvest from it.

 

“Are you sure?” asks Lay as they sit down at one of the tables. “If you like, we can eat at one of the restaurants further up ahead.”

 

It would be eating out of the reserves Lay had been wanting to save up for his living expenses in Seoul, but making someone as elegant as Sehun eat at a roadside stall seems wrong somehow.

 

“Sehun wants to eat here!”

 

Sehun says this firmly, so Lay does not protest anymore.

 

The _ahjuma_ sets a bottle of chilled water and two cups on the table. She recommends the live octopus, one of the more expensive items on the menu, but Sehun firmly rejects the idea. They end up ordering the _ahjuma_ ’ _s_ second recommendation, the seafood stew.

 

“If you would like the octopus, feel free to order it, Sehun,” says Lay gently after the _ahjuma_ leaves the table. “You don’t have to save money for hyung.”

 

Sehun shakes his head firmly.

 

“Octopuses are friends, not food!”

 

Lay blinks at Sehun. He hadn’t expected this to be the reason. He had not taken Sehun to be an animal activist.

 

“But you are okay with eating the seafood stew? It has fish, prawns and clams… …”

 

“Those are okay. If Sehun didn’t eat fish, Sehun would have nothing to eat, and Sehun would have died long ago. But octopuses are Sehun’s friends! Like the dolphins, the whales, the sharks and the seabirds. They are not to be eaten!”

 

“Oh,” was all Lay managed to say. He didn’t really know how to react.

 

“Octopuses are really cute!” insists Sehun. “Come, let me show you.”

 

Sehun pulls Lay over to the side of the basin. With one hand, Sehun easily scoops up an octopus. The octopus is sitting right in the palm of Sehun’s hand. Moving its tentacles, it crawls up and down the length of Sehun’s hand. Sehun accommodates it by repeatedly moving his hands to catch the octopus, so that the octopus keeps crawling from one of Sehun’s hands to the other.

 

“Lay hyung can touch it too!”

 

Lay hesitantly reaches out the octopus. He strokes the octopus on the top of its huge bulbous head. It feels cold and slimy. Its tentacles reach out to Lay, curling around his finger.

 

“It likes you!” says Sehun happily, and Lay smiles at him.

 

“Ah,” Sehun suddenly says, his face falling.

 

“What is it?” asks Lay gently, instantly concerned.

 

“The octopus is asking me for help,” he tells Lay seriously, his eyes wide and earnest. “He wants to go back to the sea. All of them do.”

 

“Your seafood stew is ready!” calls out the _ahjuma_. She is putting the steaming pot of stew on their table, which is already laden with side dishes.

 

“We can’t just take all of the _ahjuma’s_ octopuses and release them into the sea,” says Lay gently.

 

Sehun pouts slightly, but he obediently releases the octopus back into the basin of sea water and follows Lay back to the table. The seafood stew looks really good. The soup is still boiling, and it smells delicious. Generous portions of prawns still in their shells, chunks of white fish and clams with their shells opened can be seen. The soup is topped with chopped spring onions, and the circles of green make a bright contrast with the orangey-red broth. Lay scoops a bowl for Sehun, taking care to give Sehun lots of fish and clams. Lay has just finished deshelling a prawn for Sehun when the _ahjuma_ gives out a high pitch scream. All the diners turn around, wondering what is going on.

 

“All the octopuses are gone!”

 

Alarmed, Lay stands up, craning his neck for a closer look.

 

The basin, which had been full of octopuses swimming in it just moments ago, is now completely empty.

 

Lay’s gaze snaps to Sehun.

 

Sehun blinks up at Lay innocently.

 

“Where have all the octopuses gone?” asks Lay.

 

“Yes, I wonder where they have gone,” replies Sehun.

 

“They were just there! They couldn’t have all disappeared!”

 

“Yes, they couldn’t have. It’s really strange,” agrees Sehun.

 

Lay stares at Sehun.

 

No, it can’t be, Lay decides. Sehun was with him all this time. He couldn’t have done anything to the octopuses. It had to be someone else, someone who had somehow managed to steal an entire basin full of octopuses, without any of the diners or the stallholders noticing… …

 

The _ahjuma_ is still exclaiming shrilly about the loss of the octopuses. The _ahjusshi_ has stopped cooking too, and the elderly couple are now squabbling loudly, both blaming each other for the disappearance of the octopuses.

 

“Lay hyung.” Sehun interrupts Lay’s thoughts. “Sehun would like another prawn.”

 

Lay immediately uses his chopsticks to fish out a prawn from the steaming broth. Blowing on it to cool it down, Lay quickly sets about deshelling it, ignoring the hot prawn scalding his fingertips. But even as he puts the nicely deshelled prawn on top of Sehun’s rice, he can’t shake the thought that the expression on Sehun’s face looks a little too innocent.

 

They finish the dinner without further incident. It is nice eating outside, in the cool evening air, with the sun setting into the sea right before their eyes.

 

“Sehun feels like eating ice cream,” Sehun announces when the seafood soup in the pot has been entirely demolished.

 

“I’ll get some for you,” says Lay, already half getting up.

 

“Oh no, no, Sehun will go and get it!” Sehun pulls Lay back down to his seat. “There’s a shop selling ice cream on the street behind this one. Lay hyung can just sit here and wait for Sehun to come back!”

 

Before Lay can stop him, Sehun has already gotten up from his seat and is rounding the corner of the street. Lay smiles. He pays the _ahjuma_ for the meal, then waits patiently for Sehun to return, sipping his water while waiting.

 

“Lay!”

 

Lay looks around, surprised to hear his name. When he sees who it is, he is absolutely shocked.

 

Ruolin. His ex-girlfriend.

 

She walks up to him, waving slightly. Lay is too stunned to even wave back. She is the last person he would expect to see here.

 

“Imagine running into you here!” she says, tucking a straying strand of her hair behind her.

 

“I’m in Jeju for a holiday with my girlfriends.” She nods her head in the direction of a cluster of four girls standing on the street behind her. Lay recognises them. They are all from the same high school. The group of five girls, including Ruolin, had been fast friends almost from the first day of school. Lay smiles and nods at them.

 

“Qiqi said she wanted to check out this small little village. Something about wanting to see how the local rural villagers live, so she dragged us all here. I never expected to run into you here! Weren’t you supposed to be in Seoul?”

 

“Yes, I study in Seoul. But now that it’s summer, I’ve taken on a holiday job at the guesthouse in this village. It’s owned by the grandparents of one of my friends.”

 

“Ah, I see.”

 

She sits down on the seat that Sehun just vacated. Behind her, her cluster of girlfriends giggle and whisper, but Ruolin ignores them.

 

“Lay, how have you been?”

 

“I’m fine, I guess.”

 

“I’ve been thinking of you often lately,” Ruolin says softly.

 

Lay says nothing as he stares at her.

 

“I’ve been thinking, you know, of us. How we used to be. We were each other’s first love, and you know what they about your first love. It’s always special.”

 

Lay can barely believe what Ruolin is saying.

 

“But what about your boyfriend?” Lay blurts out tactlessly.

 

“We’ve broken up,” Ruolin admits. “He was never as sweet as you towards me, never as attentive.”

 

Lay swallows as he looks at Ruolin. She’s pretty as always, long fringe framing her face, her hair tied up in a cute ponytail. She has big sparkling eyes, which are blinking up at him right now, alluring and hopeful.

 

“Excuse me, could you move aside please? We need to pass.”

 

Lay turns around, to see Sehun standing frozen in the middle of the road. A family with two adults and two kids are trying to pass, but Sehun’s tall frame is blocking the pathway, and they can’t push their bulky strollers through. Sehun is holding two ice cream cones, one in each hand. But the ice cream has long melted, molten vanilla cream dripping down the sides of cones and onto Sehun’s hands.

 

“Sehun?”

 

Lay calling his name seems to break Sehun out of his stunned reverie. Sehun flings both ice cream cones into a dustbin near the corner of the stall. He spins around and runs away, side-stepping the family to sprint down the street.

 

“Sehun!”

 

Lay leaps up from the chair, slings his backpack over his shoulder, and gives chase. Lay can vaguely hear Ruolin calling after him, but he doesn’t have time for that now. Sehun is already at the end of the lane and is rounding a corner. Lay desperately sprints after him. When Lay rounds the corner too, he is relieved that he can still spot Sehun. Sehun is running down the dirt lane, out of the village, and down one of the trails that leads to the beach.

 

The path is winding, with lots of twists and turns. Luckily, only low-lying rocks and sand surround the trail, so Lay is able to keep Sehun in his line of sight at all times, despite the distance. The village’s beach is a small one, a narrow strip of sand that would take probably only a few minutes to walk from one end to another. Two rocky outcrops lead out from the either ends of the beach, framing the sand on both sides, forming a small little bay. When the path Lay is running on empties out into the beach at last, he sees Sehun seated on one of rocky outcrops. He is seated right at the tip, where the rock meets the sea.

 

Lay picks his way over the jagged black volcanic rocks as quickly as he can. Sehun’s head is bent. Even from a distance, Lay can see the shaking of Sehun’s shoulders. Lay quietly sits himself next to him. The water is lapping near the tips of their shoes, and every time a bigger wave comes in, salty sea spray splashes up onto them.

 

“Sehun.”

 

At the sound of his name, Sehun lifts up his head to look at Lay at last. Sehun’s face is streaked with tears, and the sight of it makes Lay’s heart clench painfully. Flustered and unsettled, Lay merely sits in silence next to Sehun.

 

Next to him, Sehun is still crying delicately. Despite the sound of the waves, Lay can clearly hear each soft sniffle, and every single one of them cuts into his heart. By this time, the sun has just set. It is not quite night yet, but the sky is darkening, a pale bluish-grey, and first stars are coming out to shine.

 

Eventually, it’s Sehun who breaks the silence.

 

“Lay hyung is so mean!”

 

Lay stares wordlessly at Sehun, stung.

 

“Yixing ge-ge would never have done this to Shixun!”

 

Lay is confused. Why is Sehun bringing the characters from his book into this?

 

“If it were Yixing ge-ge, he wouldn’t have ignored Shixun so that he can pay all his attention onto a girl! If it were Yixing ge-ge, Shixun would have been the most important! If it were Yixing ge-ge, his first love and only love would have been Shixun, and not some other girl! He would have known the instant Shixun came back with the ice cream, because he would have been on the look-out for Shixun’s return the instant Shixun had left his side. If it were Yixing ge-ge, he would not have hurt Shixun like this!”

 

Sehun’s pain is obvious, and Lay feels awful.

 

Lay lowers his gaze into his own lap, not knowing what to do.

 

He slides his gaze to the right. Sehun’s hands are just there, placed in his own lap.

 

Lay swallows. His heartbeat quickens. His hands suddenly feel clammy.

 

Hesitantly, Lay reaches over.

 

The tips of his fingers brush the top of Sehun’s hand.

 

Sehun doesn’t move his hand away.

 

Emboldened by this, Lay slowly lowers his hand, until it is covering Sehun’s.

 

Lay’s heartbeat is thudding in his ears.

 

He has done it!

 

He is holding Sehun’s hand!

 

It feels… … sticky.

 

Oh right. The ice cream. It had melted all over Sehun’s hand just now.

 

Lay takes out the packet of wet tissue from his backpack. He pulls out a piece. Holding Sehun’s hands in his own, Lay gently wipes the ice cream off them.

 

Lay lifts his eyes. His eyes meet with Sehun’s. Lay is glad to see that Sehun has stopped crying. His cheeks are still wet though, glistening with tear tracks. Lay takes a fresh piece of tissue and gently dabs Sehun’s cheeks, until every tear drop has been patted away. Sehun’s cheeks are now dry, free from tears.

 

They should always be this way, Lay decides. They should never be marred with Sehun’s tears again.

 

Lay lifts his eyes back to Sehun’s again. To his horror, Sehun’s eyes, which had been dry only moments before, are brimming again, the swollen accumulation of tears gathering at the base of his eyes, on top of his lower lids, threatening to spill over at any moment.

 

Lay stares in horror at them, not sure what he had done wrong to spark them off again.

 

It starts with a single soft sniffle, then the tears are coursing down Sehun’s cheeks in torrents. Sehun flings his arms around Lay’s neck. Not knowing what to do, Lay holds himself still as Sehun sobs on his shoulder.

 

Lay cradles Sehun in his arms, and keeps dabbing Sehun’s tears away with the tissue. It takes a long while, but eventually, Sehun’s tears subside.

 

Now that it’s dark, they can’t see the sea anymore. But they can still hear lapping of the waves. The moon has come out now. It is hanging low on the horizon, shining a moonlit path on the waves.

 

“Do you like her?” Sehun breaks the silence. He is still held snugly in Lay’s embrace, the side of his cheek resting on Lay’s shoulder. “The girl just now.”

 

“Erm… … well… … she used to be my high-school sweetheart. We dated for a year, in our last year of high-school.” Lay secretly had a crush on her for years. When she agreed to be his girlfriend, he had been so happy. “Then I went to Korea to study, and we kept a long-distance relationship at first. But three months after I went to Korea, she told me she had met someone else, and wanted to break things with me… …”

 

Lay pauses as retelling of the story brings unwanted memories back to the surface. The finality of Ruolin’s voice over the phone… … how cold and distant she had sounded then… … the feeling of abandonment… …

 

“Only three months away from Lay hyung, and she already couldn’t stay loyal to Lay hyung? Someone like her doesn’t deserve Lay hyung at all! Lay hyung should be with someone who would wait a thousand years for you.”

 

Despite the awkwardness of it all, Lay can’t help but laugh at that.

 

“A thousand years? No one is going to wait that long for me.”

 

“Sehun would.”

 

Sehun is looking up at Lay, his expression solemn.

 

He’s serious, Lay realised. He would really wait that long for Lay.

 

A rush of warmth rises up within Lay. No one had ever looked at Lay the way Sehun is looking at him now.

 

“Lay hyung.” Sehun’s voice is soft, pleading. “I don’t want you to get back together with her.”

 

“I won’t,” says Lay, hugging Sehun close. “I promise.”

 

Sehun leans forward. His mouth is inches away from Lay’s.

 

Flustered, Lay pulls back.

 

“We should head back.”

 

Lay hastily stands up, putting some distance between himself and Sehun. He makes to get back to the beach, but he realises that Sehun isn’t following him. In fact, he hasn’t moved an inch. He is still sitting on the rock, pouting angrily.

 

Oops. Lay is in trouble with Sehun. Again.

 

Lay holds out his hand, not knowing if that was the right thing to do, not knowing if Sehun would take it. But Sehun does. Lay watches as the frosty expression on Sehun’s face thaws out as he looks at the hand Lay had extended out to him. Slipping his hand into Lay’s, he allows Lay to pull him up to his feet.

 

Holding Sehun’s hand in his, Lay leads the way as they pick their way over the uneven rock back to the beach. Even when they are standing on flat even ground, Lay does not let go of Sehun’s hand. Hand in hand, they walk back towards the village. Neither of them says anything as they walk. Having Sehun’s hand in his own feels right, like it has always belonged there. Lay sneaks a glance at Sehun. The tears are gone now. He’s blushing slightly, small hints of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The sight of it warms Lay’s heart.

 

They have reached the village now, and are walking hand in hand past the first few buildings. Lay looks out for Ruolin, but thankfully, they do not encounter her or her group of friends as they make their way through the streets. They weave their way through the houses. Most of the houses in the village are small single-storey buildings, many are made of brick and cement, but some are made out of wooden planks. Some have low stone walls shorter than Lay’s height surrounding the houses and their gardens, but some houses have no fences at all. Most of the villagers have grown vegetables in their gardens, lettuces and onions growing from the soil in neat rows.

 

By this time, any tourists who might have come to explore the quaint little local village have left, going back to their bigger, more fancy hotels on the more developed parts of the island, so only the locals are left. Their linked hands draw eyes to them, whispers and murmurs. Lay sneaks a glance at Sehun. The expression on his face is the perfect picture of contentment. Lay decides it worth having to withstand some stares to continue having this expression on Sehun’s face, so he leaves his hand where it is.

 

The inhabitants of the village start to turn on the lights in their houses. One by one, as Lay and Sehun walk through the village, the houses start to light up, warm golden light spilling out of windows and doorways out into the darkness of the night.

 

They reach the wooden staircase that leads up the hill from the village to the guesthouse. At this time of the day, because of the change in tides, the sea winds are particularly strong, blowing inland from the sea. Both Lay’s and Sehun’s hair are tousled by the wind, the wind blowing their fringes into their eyes. Lay subconsciously pulls Sehun closer to him, trying to use his body to block Sehun from the wind.

 

They walk up the staircase in companionable silence. The silence feels comfortable. Lay doesn’t want to speak, lest the magic of the moment be broken.

 

Baekhyun’s grandmother has left the front porch light on. Bypassing the front door, they climb up the staircase that leads straight up to the second floor of the guesthouse. Lay walks Sehun up to his bedroom door.

 

They look at each other before Sehun breaks eye contact, ducking his head shyly. Lay is still holding on to Sehun’s hand. With his free hand, Lay reaches out for Sehun’s other hand. Lay frowns when he realises how cold Sehun’s hand is. Though not as much as Seoul, the temperature at Jeju-do does vary somewhat from day to night. Sehun’s long-sleeved jumper had been enough as they were hiking during the day, but now night has fallen, it hadn’t been enough to keep Sehun warm. Lay should have taken off his own jacket for Sehun to wear just now. Lay rubs Sehun’s hand, trying to warm it up. He lifts it to his mouth and blows into it, letting his warm breath wash over Sehun’s hand.

 

Sehun smiles at him.

 

He’s so pretty when he smiles, and Lay can’t resist anymore.

 

Lay leans up, and pauses.

 

Sehun doesn’t move away.

 

Lay continues to close the gap between them.

 

Sehun’s lips are cold, but also very soft. The kiss tastes sweet.

 

When Lay pulls back, he can feel the tips of his ears flaming. He hopes how red his ears are aren’t visible in the dim lighting. He struggles to keep his racing heartbeat under control.

 

“Have a good night, Sehun,” says Lay, hoping fervently that he’s not sounding too lame. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

 

Lay hadn’t meant it to come across as a question, but somehow it had. Thankfully, Sehun doesn’t seemed fazed by Lay’s lack of finesse or confidence. He’s smiling happily at Lay, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes curved into crescent moons.

 

Sehun quietly unlocks the door. With a last lingering look at Lay, he goes into the room, closing the door behind him. It is only at that moment that Lay realises how weak his knees are. He has to lean against the wall for support. He brings his fingers to his lips, touching it slightly, smiling as he remembers the feeling of Sehun’s lips against his.

 

Lay makes his way back to his room. After taking a shower and changing into his pajamas, he takes out his guitar. Sitting under the open window, he plucks at his guitar softly, knowing that the sound will reach Sehun, whose room is directly above his. One song leads to another, then another, and Lay just continues to play, letting his heart lead him. Lay only stops when his fingers have turned stiff from the cold of the night. He pulls down the shutter of the window, leaving a small gap for the cold night air to come into the room. Setting aside his guitar, he curls up on his futon, ready ­­­­­to read yet another chapter of Sehun’s book.

 

 

***********

 

“Lay hyung!”

 

Lay knows even without turning around who it was that had called him. The instant he turns around, Sehun’s lips are on his. Lay smiles into the kiss. Ever since their first kiss a couple of days ago, Sehun has been sneaking Lay kisses every time he can catch Lay alone. His kisses are chaste, just light pecks on the lips, but Lay likes them. It’s sweet and affectionate, and they never fail to bring a rush of warmth into Lay’s heart.

 

“ _Hal-moeni_ made raw egg over rice for breakfast today. It’s very good. You’ll like it,” says Lay as he stirs the cocoa powder into the saucepan of hot milk for Sehun. Sehun helps to lay out the side dishes on the table. Baekhyun’s grandparents enter the kitchen and the four of them eat together. Baekhyun’s grandmother fusses over Sehun, trying to get him to eat more. Sehun has clearly become her favourite, and she spoils him just as much as she does Baekhyun, or perhaps even more.

 

“Sehun, what university would you be going to after the summer holidays?” asks Baekhyun’s grandfather.

 

“I got accepted into a few universities, but I’m likely to choose to Seoul University.”

 

Lay’s chopsticks freeze in mid-air as he stares at Sehun.

 

“That’s the university Lay goes to,” observes Baekhyun’s grandfather.

 

“ _Aigoo_ , yes, and Baekhyun too! Lay, both you and Baekhyun must take care of Sehunnie. He’ll be a new student. You must look out for him.”

 

“Yes, _hal-moeni_ , I would.”

 

Sehun beams at Lay, and Lay smiles back. Having Sehun in the same university as him would be a dream come true. It would mean that they won’t have to separate after summer ends. It’s only now, when a tremendous sense of relief washes over him, does Lay admit to himself how worried he had been about their impending seperation.

 

After breakfast, _hal-abeoji_ mans the reception table, _hal-meoni_ continues with the breakfast service, while Lay starts with the housekeeping for the day. Sehun sits at the back patio with his laptop as usual. Whenever Lay has a pocket of free time, he goes to check on Sehun. Lay applies sunscreen on Sehun’s face and arms for him, and supplies Sehun with a steady flow of iced water, tea, and snacks throughout the day. During the long lull periods, he sits with Sehun at the back patio, playing the guitar for Sehun as Sehun types.

 

“What tune is this? I haven’t heard this one before. It’s nice.”

 

“It’s something I just came up with on the spot.”

 

 “It’s an original composition? How did you do it? Come up with something so nice, just like that?”

 

It’s the feeling you give me put into a song, Lay thinks. It’s the feeling I get in my heart whenever I look at you, the warmth that tingles on my skin every time you touch me, the beauty of you being you that somehow comes out as musical notes when I pluck on the strings.

 

 “I don’t know,” says Lay.

 

“Lay hyung is so talented. Lay hyung is the best!”

 

Lay blushes and ducks his head.

 

“Did you read my book last night?”

 

“Yes,” smiles Lay. “I can’t believe Shixun gave Yixing the Lightning Elemental Pearl. Their love is so big.”

 

“Shixun loves Yixing ge-ge more than anything!”

 

A new guest, an elderly gentleman, shows up at the front desk asking if they have an available room, and Lay leaves Sehun to help _hal-abeoji_ with the check-in, carrying the elderly gentleman’s luggage up the staircase for him.

 

That night, they sit on the back patio together, both of them balanced on the balustrade facing each other, their backs leaning against the pillars, their feet touching. Lay plucks at the strings of his guitar, playing the song that he had just composed for Sehun earlier that day. When the song finishes, Sehun leans over, an unspoken request. Smiling, Lay closes the gap between them, and they share a kiss under the stars.

 

Lay walks Sehun up to his room.

 

“Stay warm,” Lay reminds Sehun. “Wear a sweater before you sleep.”

 

“Lay hyung should tuck Sehun into bed if you’re so worried.”

 

His fingers curled around Lay’s wrist, Sehun pulls Lay into the room. Lay slides open the cupboard and lays out the futon. Sehun selects a thick woollen jumper from his luggage. He passes it to Lay, while holding up his arms. Lay pulls it over Sehun, sliding the sleeves into his arms and carefully pulling the neck hole over Sehun’s head, before tugging the rest of the material down to Sehun’s waist. Sehun’s hair is a little mussed, and Lay pats it back into neatness. Sehun climbs into the futon, and Lay covers the comforter over him, pulling it up to bottom of Sehun’s chin.

 

“Lay hyung.” Sehun is holding his hand, preventing him from leaving. “Sehun does not want to sleep alone.”

 

“I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep,” promises Lay, stroking Sehun’s hair tenderly.

 

“Lay hyung, play this for Sehun.”

 

Sehun’s hand reaches out from under the covers. He gropes around his belongings next to the futon, before producing a small round wooden container. He presses it into Lay’s hand. Lay examines it. It has an opening at the top, and six holes in the centre. After some further observation, Lay realises it is not a container at all. It looks like it can be blown into, somewhat like how one would blow into a flute, except that this is very round and fat.

 

“Is this a musical instrument?”

 

“It’s a _xun_.”

 

“Oh! Like what Yixing plays for Shixun.”

 

Sehun nods.

 

Lay turns the _xun_ over his hands. The wood beneath his fingers feels old, weathered and grainy. Lay wonders how old this _xun_ is. He brings it up to his mouth and blows into it. Despite the oldness of the musical instrument, the note that rings out is pure and deep, perfectly on pitch. Lay experiments on the _xun_ , covering different holes with his fingers each time. Before long, he has figured it out. Slowly and deliberately, he blows out doh, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, doh in steady succession.

 

“Lay hyung is so smart! Lay hyung is the best.”

 

Smiling into the _xun_ , Lay plays the song he had composed for Sehun. The notes are peaceful, lulling Sehun to sleep. By the time Lay puts down the _xun_ , Sehun’s eyes are closed and he is breathing deeply. Lay presses a gentle kiss on a Sehun’s forehead, turns off all the lights, and exits the room quietly.

 

Lay goes downstairs to his own room, lays out his own futon. Sitting up in it, he takes out Sehun’s manuscript and starts reading it. He is at the last chapter Sehun has given him, chapter 12.

 

An hour later, Lay is standing outside Sehun’s door, knocking on it.

 

Sehun opens the door, his hair sticking up at odd angles, his eyes still half-closed.

 

Lay immediately collapses into him.

 

“Lay hyung!” Sehun has his arms around Lay, holding him tight, instantly awake now. “What’s the matter?”

 

To Lay’s own horror, he is sobbing uncontrollably into Sehun’s chest.

 

“I read your book.”

 

Understanding seems to dawn upon Sehun.

 

“Chapter 12?”

 

“The part when Yixing died… …. it just hurts so much… … I know I’m being stupid… … I’m never this emotional when I read a book or watch a movie and something sad happens… … but I just don’t know why… … it hurts so much… … Everything that was happening to Yixing… … the pain he was going through… … I know it makes no sense… but it feels like… … I’ve gone through it myself… …”

 

“Shhhh… … Lay hyung… … it’s alright…. it’s okay… …”

 

Sehun leads Lay to the futon. He gets in together with Lay, and he pulls the covers over them both. He hugs Lay to him, and Lay sobs into his chest. Sehun cards his hand through Lay’s hair, murmuring comfortingly to Lay, holding him safe and close.

 

Lay blinks awake. Sunlight is shining through the window and onto Lay’s face. He sits up, taking in his surroundings. He is in an unfamiliar room. It takes Lay a while before he realises where he is. Sehun’s room. Sehun is nowhere to be seen. Lay is alone in the room.

 

Lay gets up and steps into Sehun’s bathroom. Though Sehun stays alone, the room is actually meant for two, so the guesthouse has laid out two sets of toothbrushes and towels in the bathroom. Lay uses the spare toothbrush to brush his teeth, before he ventures downstairs into the guesthouse kitchen.

 

“Lay hyung! You’re awake!”

 

Lay blinks at the sight before him as he walks down the last few steps. Sehun is sitting behind the reception counter, where Lay would normally sit. Baekhyun’s grandmother is seated at the dining table.

 

Lay hastily bows to her. “I’m sorry I woke up late.”

 

“ _Aigoo_! Don’t worry about such things when you are not feeling well!” Baekhyun’s grandmother says kindly. “Come, sit down and eat. We kept some food for you.”

 

Sehun stands up from the reception counter. He extends a hand out to Lay, and Lay allows himself to be guided by Sehun to the dining table, where he’s seated across Baekhyun’s grandmother. She is already done eating and is drinking a cup of tea.

 

“Are feeling better, Lay hyung?” asks Sehun as he scoops Lay a bowl of rice from the rice cooker.

 

He places the bowl of rice in front of Lay. Picking up a pair of chopsticks, he puts some beef bulgogi, some strands of vegetables, and a dollop of bean sprouts into Lay’s bowl.

 

“Eat, Lay hyung. You must be hungry.” Sehun places the chopsticks into Lay’s hands, and is now  busy scooping Lay a bowl of seaweed soup.

 

Lay looks at the spread of food on the table. A main dish of stir fried beef, a plate of vegetables, and side dishes of kimchi, seaweed, bean sprouts and anchovies. It’s too much for breakfast. It looks more like lunch. Lay looks outside. It’s bright out. Too bright.

 

“What time is it?”

 

Sehun checks his watch.  “Slightly past 1 p.m.”

 

Slightly past 1 p.m.?

 

Lay springs up from the table.

 

“The guestrooms! I have to go clean them!”

 

“Already done! Sehun cleaned them this morning. So Lay hyung doesn’t need to worry about them, alright?”

 

“You cleaned them? But you’re a guest!”

 

“ _Aigoo_ , that’s what I told him. But he insisted. He said you weren’t feeling well and needed rest. So he volunteered to help out! Such a sweet young man.”

 

Baekhyun’s grandmother beams at Sehun, and Sehun basks in the attention. It’s easy to see that Sehun has completely won Baekhyun’s grandmother over.

 

“Come, Lay hyung. Eat.”

 

Sehun tugs Lay back down into his seat. He picks up the chopsticks that Lay has yet to touch, and seems to be on the verge of feeding Lay. Feeling shy, Lay quickly takes over the chopsticks and starts eating on his own. Sehun smiles at Lay, happy now that Lay is eating.

 

Baekhyun’s grandmother smiles kindly at them. She stands up from the table, having finished her tea.

 

“You boys continue eating. I’m going off to the supermarket with the old man to buy us some groceries.”

 

“Where’s _hal-abeoji_?” asked Lay.

 

“He is at the front yard watering the plants and trimming the bushes. I’ll go collect him now, and we’ll drive to the village supermarket together. We need to buy more cleaning detergent, toilet paper and paper towels. Oh, and more bottles of liquid soap and shampoo. All these get used up so quickly in a guesthouse!”

 

“I’ll clean the dining room, the foyer, the front and back patios, and the staircases and the corridors after eating,” says Lay.

 

“ _Aigoo_! Such a good boy! But please, take the afternoon off. Baekhyun would scold me if he knew I was working you when you are not feeling well.”

 

“I’m feeling better now. I already missed my morning housekeeping duties. I’ll make up for it in the afternoon.”

 

“No, no, no. Listen to _hal-meoni_ and take the afternoon off. We have been working you too hard. The work you are doing right now was shared between you and Baekhyun last summer, and the summers before that, it was shared between Baekhyun and his older brother, Baekbeom. But now, you are doing it all by yourself! No wonder you fell ill. Rest for today, you can continue work tomorrow.”

 

With that, Baekhyun’s grandmother smiles fondly at them both, and leaves the kitchen after repeatedly telling Lay to eat up. Lay and Sehun are left alone in the kitchen. Lay puts his free hand into Sehun’s, and Sehun beams at Lay.

 

“Thank you for helping me do my job of cleaning up the rooms. You really didn’t have to.”

 

“It’s alright! Sehun is happy to help Lay hyung! But is Lay hyung just only going to say ‘thank you’? That’s not enough! Lay hyung must do more than that to thank Sehun.”

 

Sehun leans over, presenting his left cheek to Lay. Lay plants a light kiss on his cheek.

 

“Lay hyung must be fair. Lay hyung can’t just kiss one cheek and not the other.” Sehun turns the other way, so that his right cheek is now presented to Lay. “So now, Lay hyung must kiss this side too!”

 

Smiling, Lay kisses Sehun’s right cheek too. Sehun now front faces Lay, his lips mere inches from Lay’s. Understanding what Sehun wants, Lay closes the gap between them. When Lay pulls back, Sehun is smiling at Lay, his expression one of bliss and contentment.

 

After Lay finishes eating, Sehun and Lay wash up the dishes together.

 

“What would you like to do for the rest of the afternoon, Lay hyung? Would you like to go up to my room and rest? Or we could sit at the back patio, and Lay hyung can play the guitar and the _xun_ for Sehun.”

 

“I was thinking of going for a walk actually,” says Lay. “I think the fresh air and the exercise would do me good.”

 

They set off on another hiking trail, the one in the opposite direction of the one the hiked along before. Hand in hand, they walk downhill from the guesthouse towards the beach. The trail starts from here, a little sandy trail in between the stone. The trail follows the coastline, the blue waters rolling against the shore on their left. They walk on flat ground for a long stretch, but after a while, the trail slopes upwards into a hill. Lay huffs and puffs as he climbs the never-ending stretch of stairs. Next to him, Sehun ascends the hill effortlessly. Thinking back on their previous hiking trip, Lay belatedly realises that Sehun had been like this then too. No matter how steep the terrain, Lay has never seen Sehun sweat, or even breathe heavily. Like everything else he does, Sehun ascends the hill in absolute elegance.

 

“Wow. Your fitness level is amazing. I need to go work out more,” says Lay, laughing.

 

“It’s easy once you know how to use _qi_. Once Lay hyung masters the use of _qi_ , Lay hyung will be able to do it too.”

 

“ _Qi_?” Lay laughs at Sehun’s joke. “Like in your book? Too bad real life doesn’t work that way though.”

 

“ _Qi_ is real.” Sehun’s voice is quiet, serious. “Just like martial arts is real. It’s just that with the development of technology, mankind has turned their back on the traditional ways. Why bother to learn martial arts, when you can use a gun? Why bother to spend years and years cultivating your _qinggong_ , when you can just drive a car?”

 

Lay glances at Sehun, not sure how he should respond. Sehun’s face is pale again, sad and pensive, like how he was when Lay had first set eyes on him, when he had first stepped into the guesthouse.

 

As they climb, a thick fog gradually but steadily settles down around them. They are now at the peak, standing on a steep cliff. Lay can hear the sound of the waves crashing into the base of the cliff, but he can’t see anything further than five metres ahead of him.

 

“That’s strange,” says Lay. “Jeju-do doesn’t usually get foggy in the summer.”

 

“Lay hyung, would you believe me if I said I knew _fashu_?”

 

“What?”

 

“The octopuses yesterday… … your suspicions about me were right. Sehun was the one who set them free. I teleported them from the basin and back to the ocean. My father and my brothers say I am not to use _fashu_ too obviously in front of humans, but the octopuses were begging me, and Sehun couldn’t just ignore them.”

 

Lay stares at Sehun, mouth agape.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Lay hyung, do you believe in reincarnation?”

 

“Erm… … no?”

 

“Well, Sehun believes in it. It is because Sehun believes in it, that Sehun managed to survive for the past thousand years. Sehun thought of you every single day. Sehun missed you so much! When I closed my eyes and imagined very hard, I could almost hear your voice, almost feel you touch me. But when I opened my eyes again, Sehun would be all alone. Every day was such a torture. But Sehun held on to the hope that I would see you again. And I am glad I did. I am glad I waited. The instant I walked through the doors of the guesthouse, and saw you, I knew it was all worth it. Even if in this lifetime you don’t choose me, just at that moment, to be able to see you standing in front of me alive and well, it was all worth it.”

 

“What?”

 

“Lay hyung, do you trust me?”

 

Lay’s mind is reeling. He tries to piece together the things that Sehun has been saying, tries to formulate a logical explanation for everything, but fails. So Lay just follows his heart.

 

“Yes. I trust you.”

 

Just four simple words, but they are enough to light up Sehun’s face.

 

Sehun hugs Lay to him.

 

“Lay hyung, hold on tight.”

 

With that, he leaps off the cliff, bringing Lay with him.

 

Lay is falling through mist and fog. The wind whips past him as both he and Sehun fall through open air. He knows he should be afraid, but somehow, held in Sehun’s arms, Lay feels safe.

 

Then, the arms around him shrink. This is when Lay panics. He tries desperately to hold on to Sehun. He grabs for Sehun’s arms, but they aren’t there.

 

Instead, his hands are holding onto a pair of… … antlers? Like the antlers of an antelope, but much bigger. And silver in colour. Even through the mist, Lay can clearly their silvery sheen.

 

They are falling, losing height. Despite this, Lay is not scared, because he is not free falling through the air. He is seated on something, riding something, and that something is cutting through the air in a controlled descent, as if it were swimming through the air like how a fish swims through water.

 

Because of the mist and fog, Lay doesn’t know that they have reached the water’s surface until the sea hits them, waves of salty sea water splashing Lay, washing all over him.

 

They are underwater now. But Lay finds that he can breathe as easily as he can on land. There is a sphere surrounding his head, as if he has a portable gold fish bowl of air surrounding his head wherever he goes. Holding on tight to the antlers, Lay watches as they cut through the sea at alarming speed. The water is clear and blue, the sunlight from overhead streaming through the transparent waters. Schools of silvery fish swim past them, black stripes running vertically down their shiny bodies. Beds of corals roll past underneath them, bright red and gleaming. Lionfish, with their spiny bodies and stripes hover above the corals. Stingrays flap past them, their movement in the water mirroring that of birds as their wings beat up and down.

 

The air in the sphere is starting to feel a bit thin. Lay is starting to find it hard to draw breaths, but before he faces any real difficulty breathing, they swing upwards, breaking through the water’s surface into open air.

 

They are flying at cloud level. Beneath them is the sea, with its vast expanse of ever-moving waves. Land is nowhere to be seen. Lay scans the sea and the sky. No sign of human life, no ship nor aeroplane. With no landmark to serve as a visual reference point, Lay has no idea how fast they are moving, but the wind whipping into his face seems to indicate that they are moving at a very fast speed indeed.

 

In the horizon, Lay spots something in the distance. An island, in the middle of the sea. They seem to be heading towards it. It’s a very small island. One could probably walk around its entire perimeter in hour. It’s surrounded with white sandy beaches, with the clear turquoise waters lapping around it. The middle of the island is rock, covered with shrubs and brush.

 

They land on the soft sand. Lay slides off the back of the creature that had been carrying him. Lay’s knees are weak, but he steps back, so that he comes face to face with it, so that he can see it properly, in its entirety.

 

Lay is staring at a pair of eyes, that are looking straight into Lay’s own. The eyes are set in the front of a big horned head. Large tuffs of silvery hair grow out in a large bushy mane behind its neck. Beneath its chin is a large silvery beard. The closest part of the creature to Lay is its long snout. Two long whiskers trail behind the snout, one on each side. The creature’s jaws are closed, but even then, its long sharp teeth came be seen, resting atop the sides of its scaly jaws. Behind the creature’s head, its long body stretches out, its silvery scales glinting in the sun. A long dorsal fin runs along the top of the entire length of the creature’s body. He is standing on four short legs. Each leg splits into four toes, with sharp talons protruding out of each.

 

A dragon.

 

The creature in front of him is a dragon.

 

Lay tentatively stretches out his hand. The dragon holds still, allowing Lay to put a hand on its snout. Time seems to stop when his palm comes into contact with the smooth grey scales.

 

The dragon nuzzles Lay. His huge head knocks Lay off his feet. With an ‘oof’, Lay lands on his back on the soft sand. Lay lies on the sandy beach, winded, his body underneath the head of the dragon, its snout nuzzling into Lay’s stomach, tickling Lay. But the mass on top of Lay slowy but surely starts to become smaller. Lay realises that the dragon is shimmering, becoming immaterial, shrinking… ….

 

Lay tries to hold on to the dragon, as if holding on to it could prevent it from disappearing. He might as well have been trying to grasp at smoke with his bare hands.

 

Then, Lay realises that the dragon isn’t disappearing after all. It is transforming. Lay stares up in shock as a pair of hands hold onto him and a face looms over his own.

 

 Lay stares up at the exceedingly beautiful boy above him.

 

The boy stares down at Lay too.

 

Then, because Lay’s brain was still reeling from the shock of it all, Lay does not register what was going on until it happens. The boy closes the distance between them. He presses his lips upon Lay’s, kissing Lay full on the lips.

 

The boy pulls away from Lay and sits up. The boy is still very close, practically sitting in Lay’s lap. After some time, Lay regains some control over his limbs and sits up too.

 

Sehun does not say anything as he regards Lay silently. He merely sits in front of Lay, pale and beautiful and sad, patiently awaiting judgement.

 

“You’re… … you’re… … you’re a dragon.”

 

Sehun nods.

 

“You’re Shixun. Third Son of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea.”

 

The boy before him nods again.

 

“If you’re Shixun… … then… … I must be… …. I must be… ...”

 

“Yixing ge-ge!”

 

Shixun bursts into tears. He flings himself into Lay’s arms.

 

“Yixing ge-ge took so long to reincarnate! Shixun waited so long for you!”

 

Lay’s heart breaks as he holds the sobbing boy close.

 

“My poor dragon. My poor, poor, dragon.”

 

“Now that Yixing ge-ge has reincarnated, Yixing ge-ge must make it up to Shixun!”

 

“Yes, I would,” says Lay gently, stroking Shixun’s hair. “You know I would, Shixun.”

 

“Swear it.”

 

Lay lifts his left hand, raising his index and third finger towards the sky while folding the rest down.

 

“Heavens above, be my witness. I, Lay, swear to always treat Shixun well. I will always treat Shixun with love and kindness, like how I would want to be treated by others. Wait, no, I will always treat Shixun better than I treat myself. If I don’t keep my word, may I be struck by…”

 

Lay finds himself abruptly cut off as Shixun’s lips descend on his own, his kiss preventing him from finishing his sentence. His lips are warm and moist on Lay’s.

 

“The first part of your oath is enough, Lay hyung. There’s no need to follow through with the second part.”

 

Lay smiles as he gently traces a finger down Shixun’s cheek.

 

“Where are we?”

 

“On our little island, where Yixing ge-ge first brought me to after I got injured by Sun Wukong. Shixun has been using _fashu_ to keep this island safe all these years. I’ve covered it in perpetual mist and fog, and also surrounded it with unfavourable sea currents, so the humans can’t get to it. This island is still _our_ island.”

 

Lay leans over and plants a gentle kiss on Shixun’s forehead.

 

“Come, Lay hyung, follow me. There is something that I have kept here for you. I’ve kept it safe, all these years, so that I can give it to you one day.”

 

Shixun leads Lay by the hand towards the centre of the island. They step over the white uneven rock and the leafy vines and flowering creepers that grow over them, until they are standing right in the centre of the island, the little peak that is its highest point. Here, lies a small wooden chest.

 

Lay looks at Shixun.

 

“Open it, Lay hyung.”

 

Lay kneels down next to the small wooden chest. He lifts up its elaborately carved lid. Lying on top of a layer of rich blue-coloured velvet, is a single peach.

 

“Is that.. …?”

 

“A Peach of Immortality,” confirms Shixun. “It’s Yixing ge-ge’s reward from the Jade Emperor for defeating the Demon King.”

 

Lay picks it up, examining it from all angles. As Lay turns the peach round and round in his hand, the yellow, red and orange colours that splash across its skin seems to churn and swirl.

 

“Will Lay hyung eat it?”

 

“I will.” There is no hesitation on Lay’s part. He looks Shixun in the eye, his gaze open and sincere, laying all his emotions bare in front of Shixun. “I will never leave Shixun alone again.”

 

Shixun’s eyes fill with tears again, but his face is shining with happiness.

 

Their eyes meet, and Lay thinks that if it were possible for anyone to feel what pure happiness feels like, it would feel like this. 

 

 

The End

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got inspiration about setting this last chapter in a Jeju guesthouse from a fic that I read some time back, "In The Territory of the Dragon King" by curledupkitten. It’s one of my all-time favourite exo fanfics.
> 
> I think this took about 1 year and 4 months to write (excluding a writer's block period). When I wrote this, I wanted to have an ancient china wuxia setting featuring a dragon-human love, elements of having to qualify for examinations, a story that follows Yixing's development from zero to hero, and a feeling of things coming back in a full circle. 
> 
> Hope that you have enjoyed reading it :)


End file.
